Ms. Edna Jeanne Cosby

Edna Jeanne Cosby was born on March 19, 1956, in Gainesville, Florida. She is the daughter of Dr. E. A. Cosby and J. Leslie (Parker) Cosby. She is the youngest of her siblings, Dr. Leslie Carolyn (Cosby) Edwards and Dr. Joyce Y. Cosby. She grew up in Gainesville, Florida and graduated with Honors from P.K. Yonge High School in 1973, where she played the flute in the Marching Band and was a member of the Key Club and the French Club. She remained in close touch with P.K. classmates, both digitally and in person throughout the years. She was among one of the early classes to admit women to Harvard University and graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Biology in 1977. At Harvard, she was a member of the Gospel Choir. She continued her education with Baccalaureate Studies in Architecture at the University of Florida. After college, she worked for Neighborhood Housing and in the financial industry before settling in at State Farm Insurance Company as a Catastrophe Claims Adjuster and then trainer until her retirement in 2023. She spent her retirement travelling and dividing her residence between Kansas City, Missouri, Atlanta, Georgia and her ancestral home in Gainesville, Florida. Jeanne was initiated into the Mu Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in 1984. She served faithfully in a variety of positions, including President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Financial Secretary. During her 42 years of membership, she became a Silver Star, representing 25 years of service and a Life Member. She joined her sister Joyce as a legacy member, following the trail set by her mother. Jeanne was an avid reader, an expert in classic movies and television programming, and enjoyed playing the piano for many years. She loved to travel, and through work and family travel, she visited 45 of the 50 states and planned to travel to the last five. She also cruised the Caribbean Islands and Alaska and traveled to Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba. Family was always at the forefront with Jeanne. She was the only member of the Whitaker extended family who attended and documented all of her family’s reunions since they began in 1986. She sang in the choir of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia. She grew up as a member of Greater Bethel AME Church, the church of her father, and Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church, her mother’s church which she continued to attend in adulthood and whenever she came home to Gainesville after college and entering the work world in a variety of cities. She leaves precious memories that will live in the hearts of her two sisters, Leslie Carolyn Cosby Edwards and Joyce Y. Cosby; niece, Nia Dalley (David); nephews Kwesi Edwards (Yvette), George Harris, William Harris; Uncle Walter Cosby; beloved cousins and extended family members around the country; her dear friend and sorority sister Linda Saulet; and a host of cherished friends in Kansas City, Atlanta, and Gainesville. She was pre-deceased by her mother and father, along with several aunts and uncles, and brothers-in-law, Clarence Harris and Glenn Edwards. Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2026, 11:00 a.m. at Pleasant Green Baptist Church, 340 David L. Gray Drive KCKS 64101. Visitation: 9:00 with 10:00 "AKA" IVY Beyond the Wall Ceremony. Repass immediately following the funeral services at Pleasant Green. Interment: Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Gainesville, Florida. Arrangements entrusted to Lawrence A. Jones & Sons Funeral Chapels. Condolences may be shared on our website lawrenceajones.com

Ms. Edna Jeanne Cosby

March 19, 1956 - March 18, 2026