Jean Berry Mays

Jean Berry Mays (1943-2025), a beautiful lady spiritually and physically, passed away unexpectedly while peacefully sleeping at her home in Flower Mound, TX. Earlier that morning, she had talked with husband Carl Mays and said she wanted to sleep a little longer.

Carl was Jean's caregiver for the past several years as she, always with an upbeat, positive attitude, battled chronic heart failure and endometrial cancer. The evening prior to her physical death, the last thing she said to Carl as he tucked her into bed and kissed her goodnight was, "We have a unique and wonderful marriage." Carl replied, "Yes, we do. God has blessed us greatly." .

Of the Christian faith and Southern Baptist denomination, Jean has been a shining light in the lives of many. A 42-year resident of Gatlinburg, TN, Jean named and was superintendent of the "Love in Action" Sunday school class at First Baptist Gatlinburg, an adult class Carl taught for 31 years.

Jean was the essence of "Love in Action" as she lived the words of 1 John 3:18: "Let us stop just saying we love people; let us really love them and show it by our actions." Jean and class members helped support numerous organizations and families financially and spiritually, including such institutions as Smoky Mountains Children's Home and Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic, of which Jean was a board member.

Jean and Carl were also board members of Gatlinburg's Anna Porter Library when it was in its original building built in downtown Gatlinburg in 1974. Working together in many things throughout their marriage, Jean also assisted Carl when he became the charter chairman of the Gatlinburg Board of Education.

Jean had a delightful, infectious laugh, and family members couldn't keep from laughing when she did, especially when watching her favorite movies. Jean laughed daily as she and Carl enjoyed life together, always cutting up, always joking. When family groups got together, laughter filled the air.

On November 11th of this year, the 26th nationally recognized Gatlinburg Veterans Day Program will be observed, and it all began when Jean, a strong patriot, contacted the late George Hawkins, Gatlinburg Special Events Manager at the time, and told him the city should have the event and she volunteered Carl to serve as Master of Ceremonies. George loved the idea, proposed it to the city and, as they say, the rest is history.

Married 62 years, Carl says, "To me, we're still together. It's just that Jean is in her permanent home with God and Jesus, while I'm still in my temporary home." When asked how many years they had been married, Jean would say, "62 and counting." Jean and Carl would joke, "Long, long, but never boring years."

Indeed, Jean's life was never boring! After being selected as "Miss Hickman County High School" in Clinton, KY, Jean gained acknowledgements at Kentucky's Murray State University where she and Carl met. After living in Memphis and three Alabama towns as Carl pursued his career path, they lived in New Orleans where Carl attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Through the seminary, Jean got a nice paying job that, unknown to the seminary, turned out to be a receptionist for a notorious New Orleans crime boss. After being in the position a short time, Jean discovered the situation, quickly resigned and got another job. Although Jean never sought a modeling career, she did some clothes and jewelry modeling when asked.

Living in Columbus, GA, where Carl was on First Baptist Columbus staff, and then Humboldt, TN, where he began building his career as a professional writer and speaker, Jean worked with special education students at Humboldt Elementary School and taught a teenage Sunday school class at Humboldt First Baptist.

When Carl received a six-month drama grant to work with youth at First Baptist Gatlinburg, grooming them to present premieres of one of his dramas at the Southern Baptist conference centers in Glorieta, NM, and Ridgecrest, NC, the Mays family moved to Gatlinburg in 1972.

When the grant expired, parents wanted the Mays family to remain in Gatlinburg. Thus, Carl Mays Creative Ministries, Inc. was officially organized and Jean became its secretary. For several years in the early 1970s, Jean, Carl and son Carl II spent much of the summers at Glorieta and Ridgecrest conference centers where Jean taught breakout sessions and Carl spoke to general assemblies of about 3500 teens.

By the late 1970s, Jean and Carl began bringing some of the earliest large Christian conferences to Gatlinburg, with an office at the Park Vista Hotel. Jean was office manager with a staff that grew to five.

As Carl traveled to speak prior to the Gatlinburg conferences, Jean would fill up the Park Vista and acquire rooms in other nearby hotels. Prior to ending the local convention ministry and becoming office manager of Carl's writing and speaking career, Jean booked every available room in Sevier County, TN, for a January conference totaling over 20,000 participants, with sessions taking place in several locations.

Jean and Carl II made a few trips with Carl when he spoke, and they turned the trips into mini vacations. When Carl II graduated high school and went off to college, Jean began "cherry picking" the places at which Carl spoke and would travel with him to those desired locations.

Jean always had many stories to tell about these trips, along with trips to visit with Carl II at Princeton and take the train to New York for Broadway plays. An avid reader and longtime fan of mystery writer Agatha Christie, Jean was thrilled when she and Carl saw Christie's play, "The Mousetrap," in its 47th year at St Martin's Theatre in London's West End.

Along with Carl and Carl II, Jean is survived by daughter-in-law Beth and grandson Carl III (Trey). She also leaves behind brother-in-law Ralph Mays and sister-in-law Carol Mays Phillips. Other survivors include Ralph's son Mickey Mays and daughter Tara Mays Carson (Steve), and Carol's son Jamie Phillips and wife Debbie. Surviving relatives also include spouses, children and grandchildren in Ralph's and Carol's families.

An only child, Jean was preceded in physical death by parents Kelly Benjamin Berry and Willena Moser Berry.

There will be A Celebration of Life ceremony at First Baptist Gatlinburg Shelter Building on Tuesday, August 19, at 7:00 PM, with Carl officiating. Attire will be informal. No suits, ties and such. A similar service was held earlier at Flower Mound First Baptist.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to American Heart Association, American Cancer Society or your favorite charity. The Mays family expresses appreciation to Cecil Dalton of Flower Mound Family Funeral Home for gracious services rendered.