Judith Garner Hinton

Judi was preceded in death by her loving husband of 52 years, Dwight Moody Hinton, Sr., and her parents, Ethel Brigman Garner and James Travis Garner of Rocky Mount, NC.

She is survived by her three children, Ashley Hinton Huvard and husband Todd, Dwight Moody Hinton, Jr., and Michael Travis Hinton; her five grandchildren, Mika Channing Huvard, Dwight Moody Hinton, III, Rebecca Garner Huvard, Laura Alexandra Hinton, and Nathan Harrison Huvard; her brother, James Travis Garner, Jr., and wife Mike; and her lifelong best friend and "womb-mate," Martha Ann Johnson.

Judi, dubbed "Sparkles" by her fellow dancers, enjoyed an enduring love affair with dance and performance from toddlerhood onward, operating her own dance studio as a young woman and, in retirement, establishing and performing with the award-winning senior dance ensemble Razzmatazz. She was particularly skilled in creating and embellishing costumes and was known for her stylish flair even offstage. "If you're already walking on thin ice," she was known to say, "you might as well dance!"

An accomplished genealogist, Judi was a longtime member and former Treasurer of the North Carolina Genealogical Society and was honored in 2015 with special recognition for 30 years of exceptional service to the organization. Judi authored several published genealogical works, including the extensive familial record The Hintons of Nash and Johnston Counties, North Carolina as well as Letters Back Home: Posey County, Indiana to Carteret County, North Carolina.

Judi graduated with honors from North Carolina State University while raising her young family, a remarkable feat for its time. She first worked as a math teacher at Sanderson High School before pursuing a long career as a Systems Analyst with Carolina Power and Light, during which time she became one of the first women to serve on the executive board of the Data Processing Management Association, a notable achievement in an era when female corporate success was a rarity. Her tenacity and her aptitude for complex problem-solving earned her the workplace moniker "Sergeant Judi."

Judi was sharp-witted, fiercely determined, and vivacious in her passions. She cherished her friends and championed the virtues of equality, integrity, and honesty. She was, truly, a “singular sensation.” She will live forever in our hearts and memories.

Celebration of Life details forthcoming at a later date.

She walks into a room and you know she's uncommonly rare, very unique, peripatetic, poetic and chic. She walks into a room and you know from her maddening poise, effortless whirl, she's a special girl.