Lucy Gerhart Mazzaferro lost her battle to cancer on September 20, 2025, four days shy of her 83rd birthday. Lucy, born in Jackson, was the daughter of Gordon and Thelma Gerhart.
Lulu, as her grands called her, will always be remembered for being a courageous, creative, smart, thoughtful and loyal mother, grandmother, and friend to all. She attended Murrah High School and graduated from the University of Mississippi where she was a cheerleader and president of Chi Omega sorority. She was a former president of the Junior League of Jackson.
Lulu lived, worked and painted in Jackson. She was the director of the National Kidney Foundation for 20 years. After her children went to college, Lulu began her second career as an artist, specifically, as an oil painter. Although she had taken only one art class while attending Ole Miss, she began exploring her creative side later in life when she signed up for a local class taught by Bob Tompkins. After the classes ended, she had her first show and sold all her paintings. Soon, she was off and running with this newfound love that she put her heart and creative soul into successfully.
Lulu loved art and she was a uniquely talented artist with an eye for light and color, specifically blending wet into dry oil paint. She loved her art community and was passionate about helping new artists as they began their career. She loved both teaching and taking classes. She enjoyed traveling around the world, particularly France and Italy to take classes and to visit art museums and to paint en plein air. Her art has been featured in many local charity auctions, along with being displayed in galleries throughout the southeast and beyond. Lulu’s paintings have been published in nationally acclaimed magazines and books. Throughout her art career she was honored with multiple awards for her talent.
She was most proud of her children and adored her four grandchildren. The grands loved her creativity, spunkiness and always enjoyed her outfits – often saying that she was the most hip and stylish grandmother they knew. She loved spending time with the grands and taking her family on trips where she created lifetime memories for them to “see the big world” as she called these trips. She loved her cousins, friends, and neighbors and cherished the time spent together with them.
Lulu was full of life. She loved cooking, traveling, music, books, movies, and gardening. As she transitioned from painting full-time, she took up bridge and in true Lulu fashion, went full speed ahead and became an avid duplicate bridge player. She also cherished her time playing at the local bridge house and online with friends.
Lulu loved her dogs, Alfie and Wiggles, who were always by her side. She loved hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas meals at her home with her family and always had creative gifts in the stockings for the grands. Oh, and Lulu loved shoes – she was always wearing the brightest and boldest shoes and would not hesitate to pay you a quick compliment if she liked yours.
Survivors include her two children, Gregory Gerhart Mazzaferro (spouse Betsy) and Lauren Mazzaferro Hailey (spouse Ross) and her four grandchildren, Maddy Mazzaferro Mink (spouse Wilson), Eliza McKay Mazzaferro, Sara Carson Hailey, and Sam Gerhart Hailey.
The family would like to thank Kathy Gregg, at the UMMC Mind Center, along with Dr. John Henegan at UMMC Cancer Center and everyone at Mississippi Methodist Rehabilitation Center. Lulu trusted her doctors who became her dearest friends. The family would also like to thank the staff at Ridgeland Place Assisted Living, as they became her family and ours. “Our family will sing your praises for all the years to come for the love and care you gave to her.”
Lucy’s life will be celebrated October 2 at Jackson Street Gallery, 637 Highway 51, Suite B, Ridgeland, from 5 to 7 p.m.. A special toast and prayer will be offered at 6 p.m. to honor a life well lived. To honor Lulu’s commitment to those less fortunate, memorials may be made to Stewpot Community Services (Stewpot.org) in lieu of flowers.
