Maxel Johnnie Irene McCain Hayes "Johnnie"

Maxel Irene McCain Hayes, “Johnnie,” passed away Sunday, February 15, 2015, at her home in Charlotte. Born July 8, 1919, she was the daughter of the late Claude McCain and Della Helms McCain. One brother and three sisters also preceded her in death.

She was the wife of John Marion Hayes, her husband of over 75 years, who survives her. She is also survived by her children: Richard (Diane) Hayes, Rozanna Lawing, Judy Corbett, and Linda Youngblood; grandchildren Rick Hayes, Jimmy Hayes (Anna), Alisha Youngblood-Ortiz (Silvio), John Youngblood (Beth), Jessica Haverkock (Holger), and Chris Linker (Auntouch); great-grandchildren: Andrew Youngblood, Amanda and Alex Hayes, MacKellan and Arlo Averett, Mila and Ryker Haverkock, Steven Linker, and Mitchell Smith; and great-great grandchild Mason Smith. She is also survived by a host of nieces and nephews, all of whom she loved.

For over 20 years, Mrs. Hayes was head of the alteration department at Montaldo’s, a job which both challenged and rewarded her and allowed her to be creative. She could do absolutely anything with fabric and delighted in colors and designs. She was known to come home from work and start and finish an outfit in an evening. A talented and caring woman, in her later years she made and sent overseas over 460 one-of-a-kind dresses for children affected by disasters, believing that taking care of those children was God’s purpose for her life. For her work she received the first Pfeiffer University Humanitarian Award.

She was seldom able to be still. When she wasn’t sewing little dresses, she was knitting baby blankets for every child born to any family related to the church. Or she was working on lap robes for shut-in and kept her friends involved in that ministry.

Life interested her, as did the world around her. She loved anything with roots, played a mean game of Chinese checkers, and could pack a full picnic and be out the door in three minutes flat.

But of all things on the earth, she loved her family best. She fell in love with her husband at first sight, a mutual event, and married him six weeks later. Their commitment to each other and their children was an inspiration to all who knew them. Together they traveled most of this country – several times – always curious about what lay around the next bend. How they did live!

A memorial service commemorating her life will be held at Central Steele Creek Presbyterian Church, 9401 South Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC, on Saturday, February 21, at 1pm. A reception will follow in the Family Life Center. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the church’s Mission Fund.

Arrangements under the direction of McEwen Funeral Service-Pineville Chapel, Charlotte, NC.