Beryl Jaynes

Beryl Jaynes died late November 16 at Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill from complications of a lung infection and heart failure. She was 89. Beryl was born and raised in Lansing, North Carolina, as the oldest child in the large family of Bob and Ethel May. She attended local schools through Lansing High School, then received a scholarship to continue her education at Women’s College (now UNC-G) in Greensboro. After college, she completed her studies to be a dietician at the University of Indiana medical center in Indianapolis.While working at the State Hospital in Morganton, she met the love of her life, Edward Jaynes, and they married in 1948. They settled in Chapel Hill, where they built a home and raised two children. While he worked in industry and the local schools, she continued her career, helping to open UNC’s Memorial Hospital before moving on to the local VA Hospital in Durham (with a break for the children) where she retired in 1986. After his death in 1994, she continued to be active in University Presbyterian Church and traveled extensively in the British Isles and Europe as she’d always wanted to do.She continued to live in her own home, active and visible until the end, with some help from medicine and family; enjoying a vacation at the beach the previous summer, and basically good health until her final weeks.She is survived by a brother, Edward May of Galax, Va.; two children, John Jaynes of Chapel Hill, and Catherine Jaynes Chianese of Mebane and her husband Eric; two grandchildren, Julia and Robert Chianese of Mebane; and a numerous extended family.The funeral will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 21, 2012 at Burkemont Baptist Church in Morganton with Rev. Dr. David Mills officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends at the church from 1:00 until 2:00 p.m. prior to the service.In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Burkemont Baptist Church, 4668 Burkemont Road, Morganton, NC 28655 or University Presbyterian Church, 209 E. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514.Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center is assisting the family with the arrangements.