Birth Date: 10/06/1935
Deceased Date: 12/25/2022
Mary Jane Tucker Harrell, 87, of Clayton passed away on December 25th at her home. She was preceded in death by her husband, Luke and her favorite companion, Dixie, a loving, fuzzy lapdog. She leaves behind daughter Kay Harrell Taylor and husband Glenn Taylor of Clayton, NC, daughter Tucker Harrell Wagner and husband Erich Wagner of Broomfield, CO, and grandchildren Leslie (née Taylor) and Scott Schwartz, Matthew and Rebecca Taylor, Ethan Wagner, and Rowan Wagner. She was also a beloved great grandmother to Emma Kay Schwartz.
A memorial service will be held in her honor on Saturday, January 7, 2023 at 3:00 PM at First Presbyterian Church in Smithfield, NC. The family will receive friends at the church beginning at 1:30 PM.
Jane was born in Pitt County, North Carolina, daughter of Sammie and Eva Lee Tucker and sister to Sara Dunn née Tucker, and spent her days fishing on the Tar River and roaming on the farm with her cousins. She attended East Carolina Teachers College and taught for over 30 years as a beloved force of nature called The Sarge. She earned her Master’s degree in the years between having Kay and Tucker. Jane and Luke retired to Topsail Island in 1989 where she spent her time fishing and making new friends. They later moved to Clayton where she worked out, breakfasted, and played dominoes with a group she called “the ladies.” She made friends wherever she went; people gravitated toward her bright blue eyes and the loud advice she doled out with love.
Her favorite advice was to work hard and save your money, read the sports section of the newspaper, and pay attention to politics.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to First Presbyterian Church of Smithfield, NC, or the American Cancer Society.
