Jane Delores Andrew Lindley, 88, of Snow Camp, NC passed away peacefully on June 28, 2025, at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill, NC while surrounded by family and close friends. She was born in Chatham County on January 4, 1937 to the late James Harvey Andrew and Mary Blanche Lindley Andrew. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, William Joseph (Joe Bill) Lindley, Jr., and brothers, Murray Milton Andrew (Barbara), Blake Lindley Andrew (Becky), Phillip Rader Andrew (Pauline), and Donald Keith Andrew (Jane survives).
Jane graduated Valedictorian from Silk Hope High School in 1955 and immediately began business study at Burlington Business College. In 1956 she started her working career as the first full-time secretary of the First Baptist Church, Siler City, NC. In 1960 she began working for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC and continued there until her retirement in 1998, holding three positions, the final and most lengthy being Administrative Manager of the History Department, during which time she was honored with the C. Knox Massey Award for Distinguished Service. At the time that she received this honor, colleagues and superiors described Jane quoting, “She’s a very dedicated person, very intelligent, and very quick. It’s astonishing what she can juggle.” One chair commented that he “would trade 12 faculty positions to keep her.” And two history department chairs commented that they would have refused the position to head the department if Jane would not be staying to help.
Jane could juggle whatever was thrown at her. She juggled her career at the University while raising three children in an age where most women with children did not work outside the home. In addition to maintaining a career that spanned three decades at the University, and raising her children, she also helped her husband Joe Bill manage their dairy farm, keeping the books and completely computerizing the business subsequent to retiring. From the time Jane was a young girl, she was very active in her church communities of Spring Friends Meeting, Chatham Friends Meeting and South Fork Friends Church, serving as Secretary of Meeting at Spring for many years, serving on numerous committees, choir, and teaching Sunday school. Jane loved Jesus and always tried to love others like Jesus.
With everything else that was normally on her plate, you would think that there would be no time for any other hobbies or activities, however, Jane always found time to bake a cake. As with every aspect of her life, she took her baking very seriously and instructed her girls on the importance of separating the egg whites from the egg yolks, and beating each yolk four minutes before adding the next one to the bowl. In her nearly 63 years of marriage, she wore out at least three KitchenAid mixers. You could always count on there being a cake on the cake plate in her kitchen, either waiting to be taken to a neighbor in need, the church, or just waiting for friends or family to visit. She most enjoyed making a pound cake or her famous caramel cake, either only to be made on a clear sunny day.
Jane loved her family and her friends immensely. With her family spread over multiple states, she treasured every visit, phone call, or get together. Jane is survived by a son, David Andrew Lindley of Snow Camp (fiancée Joanie Laws), two daughters, Mary Lindley Hill (Tom) of Christiansburg, VA, Sarah Lindley Piera (Pete) of West River, MD, six grandchildren, Krysta Lindley of Durham , NC, Andrew Lindley of Redmond, OR (Maura fiancée), Lindley Hill Eaton (Eric) of Lexington, KY, Natalie Hill Naim (Derek) of Broadview Heights, OH, Katherine Piera of West River, MD, Christina Piera of Charleston, SC, three great-grandsons, Jack Thomas Eaton and Brooks William Eaton of Lexington, KY and Theo Lindley of Durham, NC, and three great-granddaughters coming in 2025.
A celebration of life will be held Sunday, July 6, 2025 at South Fork Friends Church. The family will greet friends beginning at 2:00pm with the service immediately following at 3:00pm. A brief graveside service will follow at Spring Friends Meeting.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to Jane’s loving caregivers for the past year and a half: Carolyn Handley, Kathy Mullis, Carol Williard, Sue Brooks, Wanda Locklear, and Carol Knight.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Janie Lindley Music Fund or the Building Fund at South Fork Friends Meeting, 359 South Fork-Bethel Road, Snow Camp, NC 27349
