* Her last name is also known as Ellington. She was not married to Duke Ellington.
Maria Hawkins Cole (August 1, 1922 – 10 July, 2012) was the widow of singer Nat King Cole and mother of singer Natalie Cole. She was also a jazz singer who worked most notably with Count Basie and Duke Ellington. She met Nat King Cole while they were both singing at the Zanzibar club.
Maria Cole cause of death
Maria Hawkins Ellington was born in Boston and was the niece of Charlotte Hawkins Brown. She died in a nursing home in Boca Raton, Florida, after a short battle with cancer on July 10, 2012.
Maria Cole was 89 years old at the time of her death