Maxine Rayford
Maxine Rayford

Obituary of Maxine Rayford

Maxine Honeycutt Rayford died on March 10, 2018 at her home in Richmond, Virginia. On Friday, she spoke and visited with family and friends, gave some of her usual advice, then Saturday morning peacefully took her last breath. Maxine was born in Sampson County, North Carolina on April 19, 1919, the daughter of Area Frances Simmons and John Quincey Honeycutt. At age 20, Maxine moved to attend business school in Charlotte where she eventually settled, married, and lived the majority of her life before moving to Virginia to be near her children. Family financial pressures led to Maxine's entry into the workforce in 1957 and she remained a successful career woman until her retirement from the American Mutual Liability Insurance Company in 1984. While she was a highly valued employee in the insurance industry, Maxine's greatest love was her service in her congregation. She contributed much of her life to multiple leadership roles at First Baptist Church, Charlotte, nurturing a rich community of relationships from which she received great strength and joy and on which she showered her glad devotion and love. Maxine was a giant of joyful faith. She will be remembered most vividly, however, by her family and friends as the very definition of hospitality and generosity. She had a voluminous recipe box worthy of any culinary artist. And, with her collection of books and World Book encyclopedias, she met questions with a curiosity broadly predating Google. Indeed, Maxine was ahead of her time in how she practiced parenting, and embodied wisdom which led to incredible resiliency. Indeed, the words of Proverbs 31:29 apply: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Maxine was preceded in death by her husband, Richard D. Rayford, Sr. and a daughter, Maxie Rayford King. Survivors include a daughter, Suzette Rayford McIlwaine (Benjamin) of Leesburg, Virginia; a son, R. Drexel Rayford, Jr. (Vicki) of Birmingham, Alabama; three grandchildren, Randy Warren King, Jr. (Sharon) of Wilmington, North Carolina, Joy Granger Getz (Andrew) of Littleton, Colorado, Melissa Suzanne Rayford of Richmond, Virginia; and five great grandchildren. A memorial service will be observed on March 24, 2018 at 11:00 in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church, Charlotte. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be madeFirst Baptist Church for mission initiatives in the city.
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