Martha Kay Jones (Kay), beloved wife, mother, sister and aunt, passed away peacefully on October 9, 2024, surrounded by family, and uplifted by friends. Born on October 10, 1945, in Grifton, NC, Kay and her identical twin sister, Ann, were a source of pride to be just the second set of twins born in Grifton, NC.

Growing up in Goldsboro, NC, Kay graduated from Goldsboro High School in 1964 and then moved to Raleigh to attend secretarial school. After school, Kay moved to Atlanta, GA, with friends where she started her new life of adventures. During this time, serendipity intervened, and she met Dr. Charles P. Jones Ph.D., also from Goldsboro, NC, who happened to fly to Atlanta to visit his mother, and Kay volunteered to pick him up from the airport.

In 1971, Kay and Charles were married, and together they built a life and family in Raleigh, NC. She was an integral part of her husband’s successful finance business, Financial Analysts Review. Additionally, she contributed her editing talents to her husband’s numerous finance textbooks during his career as a professor at N.C. State. After 19 fruitful years, Kay retired, leaving behind a legacy of hard work, dedication and partnership.

Kay was also an avid sports enthusiast, passionately cheering for UNC basketball, always watching professional football games, and never missing the Olympics. Her love of sports extended to her family, as she rarely missed her daughter’s high school volleyball games. Kay was so supportive of her daughter and team that she never missed an away or home game (in four years!), often being the only parent from her daughter’s school cheering them on at away games. She would drive behind the school van and bring snacks for the team. These moments created cherished memories for her daughter, who remembers her mother’s dedication and pride in her accomplishments.

Kay loved the North Carolina coast, particularly enjoying her time at their Pine Knoll Shores home, where she would fish, cook elaborate meals, and savor the beauty of the coastal sunsets from her ocean-front deck. While at the coast, she delighted in preparing meals for her family, often serving dinner late into the evening, having enjoyed wine and the scenery to the fullest.

Kay’s love for cooking was a gift she passed on to her daughter. Kathryn is thankful to have a childhood full of countless family dinners at the kitchen table, lovingly referring to them as ‘Mommy-cooked meals.’ Kay’s extended family is thankful for the many holiday meals she cooked that brought the family together for lasting lifetime memories.

Her adventures also took her overseas, where some of her fondest memories were made traveling through France and Switzerland. She especially cherished her visits to the Eiger Glacier and of traveling by train throughout Switzerland enjoying coffee much better than what she could get at home.

One of Kay’s greatest joys in life was visiting her family in Knoxville, TN, and making stops in Cherokee, NC. She loved driving the scenic mountains of Black Mountain and Asheville, NC, while playing her beloved music, which never failed to bring a smile to her face.

Kay was preceded in death by her parents, William Elmo Smith (1957) and Sallie Dixon Smith (1985), her brother, Doug Smith (2013), and her twin sister, Ann Drum (2017).

Kay is survived by her husband of 53 years, Charles, their daughter Kathryn Swearingen (Blake), her step-grandchildren Taylor and Andrew Swearingen and her sister Fran Boyette (Al).

Kay is also survived by extended family including many loving nieces and nephew.

The family is grateful for the amazing network of caregivers who worked together to provide full-time care to Kay. The family is forever grateful to Benita, Alice, Tabitha and Janet for being as compassionate and caring with Kay as they would with their own family.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date to be communicated by the family.