Maria Jones McDaniel

Maria Jones McDaniel
GREENVILLE - Maria Jones McDaniel, 61, died suddenly on Monday, January 27, 2025.
The funeral service will be conducted at 3:00 PM on Sunday, February 2, 2025 at Greenville First Pentecostal Holiness Church, officiated by Rev. Jim Gray. Burial will follow at Pinewood Memorial Park. The family will receive friends Saturday from 5 until 7 PM at the Wilkerson Funeral Home.
Maria, daughter of the late Betty Lou Stokes Jones and Jesse Branch Jones, lived her early life in the Stokestown community of Pitt County. She attended Chicod School and was a 1981 graduate of D.H. Conley High School. She received Masters degrees in Administration and Science Education, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Middle Grades education from East Carolina University. She also received National Board Certification in Science Education and held an Environmental Science certification. She began her career in 1985 teaching science at Ayden Middle School. In 1995, Maria began teaching at Chicod School where she taught until 2014. During her time at Chicod School, she taught middle grades and served as the Instructional Coach mentoring many beginning teachers. She was a Clinical School teacher at East Carolina University and hosted several interns. She also taught in the Science Education Department at the university for many years. After retirement from Pitt County Schools, Maria became the Program Director for A Time for Science until December, 2022. Maria's love for teaching science was great and impacted many students and educators across the state. She really enjoyed learning and sharing teaching strategies with colleagues.
Maria enjoyed spending time with her family at their river house in Bath. She loved shopping with friends and was an avid crafter, most recently designing jewelry called Pearls on the Pamlico. Her love of water and nature inspired designs with oyster shells, natural stones, and beads. She was a vendor at many shows in eastern North Carolina and her jewelry was featured in several boutiques.
She was a longtime member of Greenville First Pentecostal Holiness Church. She was a member of the choir and very active in many church ministries such as Young At Heart, First Impressions, Women's Ministries, Home Group Leader and director of Sunday School and Free Camp. Maria had a true servant's heart and enjoyed helping others. Maria loved to witness and share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
She is survived by her husband of 47years, Jeff McDaniel; daughters, Lauren M. Rawls and husband, Joel, Leslie M. Godwin and husband, Aaron, and Layden McDaniel all of Greenville, NC; grandchildren, Maverick Rawls, John Floyd Godwin, Shelby Godwin, and Morgan Godwin; and a brother Branch Jones of Ayden, NC.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Pentecostal Holiness Church, 204 Brinkley Road, Greenville NC 27858.
Arrangements are by Wilkerson Funeral Home & Crematory.
Online condolences at www.wilkersonfuneralhome.com