Mary Frances Hearn Ramsey, of Pinebluff, NC, passed away on Tuesday, January 8, 2019.
Mary Frances was born in Alamance County, NC, to Ethel Mae Perdue Hearn and William Franklin Hearn on June 17, 1923. Frances grew up in Pinebluff and attended school in Pinebluff and Aberdeen. She graduated from High School in 1940 and returned the following year when the 12th grade was added, earning a second High School diploma in 1941 after completing typing, short-hand, and business English classes.
Frances worked in Pinehurst as a Secretary at Army Air Force Technical Training Command until she met and later married Staff Sergeant Jay Howard Fisher of the Army Air Corps. During a training exercise in World War II, Staff Sergeant Fisher died in a B-25 plane crash. Their daughter, Jay Frances Fisher, was born 5 months later.
Several years later, Frances worked as a Secretary to the Division Engineer/Division Superintendent of Carolina Power & Light where she met and later married Charles Thomas Horton. Frances and Charles had a daughter, Mary Charles Horton, and the couple divorced eight years later.
After moving her family to Chapel Hill, NC, Frances worked as a Secretary to the Director of Engineering and Environmental Sciences Division at Research Triangle Institute in Research Triangle Park, NC. Here she met and later married Carl Wayne Ramsey in 1970 and the two were married until his death in 1980. In addition to working for RTI, Frances also had a long and notable career as a Secretary for several Department Heads at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, including Secretary to the Director of the Department of Public Health Administration.
Frances is survived by her daughter, Mary Charles Horton Lauzon, and one sister, Ruth Hearn Mills, along with 5 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by one daughter, Jay Frances Fisher Bilyeu, one brother, Robert Frank Hearn Sr, and two sisters, Dixie Hearn Elmore and Janie Hearn Brandon.
A visitation will be held from 1:00pm to 2:00pm on Saturday, February 2, 2019, at Pinebluff United Methodist Church in Pinebluff, NC, and will be followed by a memorial service at 2:00pm. A small graveside service will follow at Pinebluff Cemetery.
Memorial donations may be made to Pinebluff United Methodist Church, or the Salvation Army, or a charity of one’s choice.
Online condolences may be made at www.bolesfuneralhome.com. Service arrangements have been entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.
