Marjorie Y. Matney

1928 - 2022

Marjorie Y. Matney, 93, of Grassy Creek, NC, formerly of Charlotte, NC, died at the Foley Center of Chestnut Ridge in Blowing Rock, NC on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.

Born December 20, 1928 in Colora, MD, she was the daughter of the late Carl Ray Young and Golda Haynes Young. Her family moved back to Grassy Creek when she was very young and she later fell deeply in love with D. Earl Matney, Jr. when they met at the Virginia-Carolina school. They married on August 25, 1949 in Grassy Creek, NC.

They shared a tremendous curiosity and love for knowledge and travel. Together they visited all fifty U.S. states, and all but one province of Canada. With Earl, and later with family members, she also visited 55 countries on all the continents except Antarctica. They loved the outdoors and hiked much of the Appalachian Trail as well as most of Grayson Highlands. She was well known for her love and passion of plants and her beautiful gardens. She also used her encyclopedic knowledge of plants to help fellow gardeners. Her talent for creating crafts and hosting welcoming events and foreign internationals have left a lasting legacy for all to cherish. Her remarkable memory and vast interests made her an incredible conversationalist. Visiting always meant several hours of intriguing discussions. Always interesting, a conversation could start with digging in the dirt, change to current events, and then expand all the way to the how and why of humanity and the universe. This ability serves her survivors well as her frequent story-telling of family history made her a valuable resource for weaving the bonds of generations together.

Mrs. Matney is survived by a daughter, Sherry M. Cobb and her husband, Buz, of Huntersville, NC; two sons, David E. Matney, III and his wife, Vickie, of Asheville, NC, and Steven C. Matney and his wife, Andrea, of Glen Echo, MD; six grandchildren, Jenny C. May and her husband, Chad, Laurel C. Hunter and her husband, Noah, David "Dave" E. Matney IV and his wife, Flavia, Garnett N. Matney and his wife, Alyse, Meredith M. Graf and her husband, Brian, and Quinn R. Matney; one god-grandchild, Brittany N. Rucker; four great-grandchildren, Camren A. May, Caden A. May, Brian A. Graf III, and Emmet K. Matney. Mrs. Matney was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 56 years, D. Earl Matney, Jr. of Grassy Creek; and by a sister, Patsy Y. DeBoard.

The visitation was on Saturday May 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Boone Family Funeral Home, 2005 Mt Jefferson Rd, West Jefferson, NC. Her celebration of life memorial service was conducted at 2 p.m. Sunday May 29 at the same location by Rev. Chris Webb. Interment will be at a later date.

Flowers are welcome or memorials may be made to National MS Society, Greater Carolinas Chapter (https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Chapters/NCT); 2610 Wycliff Road, Suite 101, Raleigh, NC 27607

Messages to the family may be sent to her son, Steve Matney, at matney@rcn.com.