Jean Hodge Petrey

Jean Hodge Petrey, 95, of Pawleys Island, SC passed away on Tuesday September 10, 2024. She is preceded in death by her husband of 72 years, James Edward Petrey, Sr. She was born on June 2, 1929 in Wise County, VA, daughter of the late Dana Harmon Hodge and Lora Trent Hodge. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two sisters. Jean is survived by her three children, Virginia Petrey Van Gurp, and husband, John, of Pawleys Island, SC, James E. Petrey, Jr., and wife, Paula, of Lynchburg, and Patricia Petrey Justis, and husband, Joel, of Pawleys Island, SC. She is also survived by 11 grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was a talented pianist and began playing for local churches and high school events as a young teenager in the Norton, VA area. Valedictorian of her high school in Norton, VA she secured a banking job soon after graduation and married a year later. The family moved to Lynchburg, VA in 1965 and Jean became a bookkeeper for the family business, Petrey’s Gun Store, which originated as a Western Auto store located in the Boonsboro Shopping Center. Jean’s family was the pivotal point of her remarkable love and devotion. Known to all as “Mamaw” she spent countless hours baby-sitting grandchildren, and then attending grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s activities whenever possible. In her spare time, she loved to sew and made apparel for herself and her daughters. After the arrival of grandchildren, her sewing skills expanded to doll-making. Her creativity extended to poetry writing as she often created a short poem to be included in a birthday card sent to family members. She expanded her writing and manually typed several booklets of a collection of her original poems in 1981 titled “My Views on the Yard (Back and Front)”. It included her sometimes witty, but always wise, observations of her daily life regarding the aggravating crow picking the cherries off her favorite tree, her exasperation with the family guard dog Mickey, and most importantly her acknowledgement of the blessings around her provided by the Creator. Jean was a member of Gospel Community Church Rivermont (formerly Rivermont Avenue Baptist Church). The family will hold a memorial service Wednesday September 18, 2024 at 12:30pm at Whitten Timberlake Chapel, 7404 Timberlake Road, Lynchburg, with Celebration of Life reception immediately following. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to the charitable organization of your choice.