Margaret Faye Maness McGinnis, died November 5, 2012 of heart disease. Faye was born July 2, 1925 in Star, NC to Bonnie and Edgar Maness, and spent most of her childhood in Biscoe, NC. She was valedictorian of her high school class and enrolled at Flora MacDonald College for Women, where she triple majored in English, Bible and Music.
While working as Director of Christian Education at Tenth Avenue Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC, she met and married a young minister, James William ‘Mac’ McGinnis, who was serving a church in Kannapolis, NC. They began their life together at Guilford Park Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, NC in 1948. This was followed by an associate pastorate at First Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, NC, and pastorates at Havelock Presbyterian Church and Cary Presbyterian Church. Faye served as ‘mistress of the manse’ by hosting church events, directing choirs, teaching all levels of Christian education classes, and helping to establish an accredited Kindergarten program at the Cary church in 1959.
Faye and Mac were blessed with three children, whom they loved and raised from the 1950s through the 1970s. Faye earned a Master’s in Music Education and an advanced degree certificate at UNC-Chapel Hill, and transitioned from her roles as homemaker and church volunteer to that of elementary music teacher with Raleigh City and then Wake County Public Schools. Her first year of teaching, she taught students in seven schools! Faye served as a teacher for 26 years.
After retiring, Faye and Mac enjoyed traveling together to Australia, Switzerland, and many parts of the US. They were instrumental in the establishment of Glenaire Retirement Home in Cary, NC and were among its first residents.
Faye loved classical music and began each Christmas season by attending ‘Messiah’ at Duke Chapel. Every year, she composed a rhyming poem about her activities and mailed it to her extensive list of family and friends. She was a formidable Scrabble opponent who took no prisoners, even when playing a beloved grandchild! Faye sewed dozens of outfits for her daughters (and their Barbie dolls), and later pieced beautiful crazy quilts for them from the material she had saved from those projects.
Faye lived life believing the best of others and bearing no grudges. She was a loyal friend and a person of tremendous intellect and Christian faith. She was blessed with Mary’s heart and Martha’s hands.
Faye was predeceased by her parents, husband, the Rev. James W. McGinnis, son, James W. McGinnis, Jr. (Jim), and brother, Col. Harold M. Maness. She is survived by her sister, Myra M. Hall of Southern Pines, NC; daughters and sons-in-law, Nancy M. Jirtle and Randy Jirtle of Durham, NC and Amy R. McGinnis and Henry Farber of Issaquah, WA; grandchildren, James Jirtle of Sutton, UK; and Rachel Farber of New York, NY; Bonnie Jirtle of San Antonio, TX; Jay Farber of Cambridge, MA; granddaughter-in-law, Beth Jirtle and great-grandson, Peter Jirtle of Sutton, UK; sister-in-law, Mary Yorke McGinnis of Fair Lawn, NJ and 13 nieces and nephews.
The Service of the Resurrection will be held at First Presbyterian Church, Raleigh, NC on Friday, November 9, 2012 at 11:00 am. Burial will follow at 3:30 pm at Biscoe Cemetery, Biscoe, NC. The family will receive friends at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, Cary, NC on Thursday, November 8, 2012 from 6-8 pm.
Memorial gifts may be sent to First Presbyterian Church, Raleigh, NC; the Jim McGinnis Memorial Lecture Fund at Duke University; or to the American Heart Association.
Condolences may be sent to www.BrownWynneCary.com.
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