Willie McLaney

Willie Mae McLaney, born Willie Mae Lunsford on August 14, 1924, in Brewton, Alabama, passed away peacefully on December 2, 2025, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She was 101 years old.

Willie Mae lived a long, remarkable life marked by strength, grit, and a deep capacity to love. Feisty and strong willed, she met every chapter of her life with determination but those who knew her best also knew her gentle heart and the way she loved fiercely.

After marrying her husband, Lester McLaney Sr, they moved to Fayetteville where his military career brought them. The city became her lifelong home. She remained proud of his service and the military community surrounding them. Throughout her life, she worked at the local newspaper, volunteered with the Red Cross, and later provided loving childcare to children who she fell in love with too.

She was preceded in death by her parents William Riley and Donia Mae Lunsford, her sister Beatrice, her beloved husband Lester, and her son Lester McLaney Jr., along with many other loved ones.

She is survived by her son Richard & Connie McLaney; her grandchildren Claire & Cory Payne, Erin & Gilbert Franco, Somer McLaney, and Stuart McLaney; 14 great-grandchildren; and 3 great-great-grandchildren. Her five generations of family stand as a testament to the long, meaningful life she lived. She is also survived by her loving care giver & friend Cheryl and close friends Lorie & Don.

Willie Mae will be remembered for her strength, her stubborn spark, and the love she gave. Her legacy lives on in every story she shared, every life she touched, and every person who carries her memory forward.