Judy Dykes

Judy, my wife of 41 years, was born Jan 1, 1941 in Burlington, North Carolina. She was raised by her mother Maxine Cates and had one younger brother Arthur, and two sisters named Jerry and Linda.

Judy was somewhat of a tomboy growing up and was in the chorus at Williams High School. When she was 12 she climbed a tree and told God she had come as high as she could to reach Him! After high school she became a licensed practical nurse at the Burlington hospital. Later she became a pharmacy technician. She attended the Baptist church with her four girls after her marriage. Later her husband, Benjamin, died at the early age of 56.

Judy and I married in August 1985 and pastored four Methodist churches near Roanoke, North Carolina. Later when I worked for Teen Challenge in Greensboro, she worked for North Carolina National Bank as an administrative assistant. We moved to Martha Vineyard where she was the head teller at Martha's Vineyard Bank.

There we were involved in a church plant in the Brazilian community there. God sent us on mission trips together to many places including Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, Poland, Czechoslavakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Chile, Nova Scotia, New Foundland and New Hampshire. Judy was a great photographer and took hundreds of pictures of our travels.

In the year 2000 we moved to Wilmington and have lived here the past 25 years and I continued my evangelism into many other places. We were part of Myrtle Grove Evangelical church and I was a part time prison chaplain at the state prison and we also had a small real estate company. We loved our home and the life God gave us in Wilmington. Judy had some health battles but she always was an overcomer. We will see her again soon someday. I thank the Lord for her rich life and for her service to the Lord Jesus always. She died Feb 19, 2026 at 85 very peacefully at her home with me by her side. Jim Dykes Wilmington, North Carolina

All are invited to her funeral March 3, Tuesday at 11am at Coble Funeral and Cremation Service on 1155 Shipyard Blvd in Wilmington, North Carolina