Mrs. Martha Inez (Hayes) Clay

Mrs. Martha Inez Hayes Clay was born on June 16, 1940, to the late John and Theresa Hayes in Rockingham County, North Carolina. She passed away on December 10, 2022, at Beacon Place in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Inez graduated from Laughlin High School in 1958. Upon graduation she joined her brother, James in Louisville, Kentucky for a job. She met her future husband Frank A. Clay Jr. and they were married in 1963 and their only child, Frank A. Clay III was born the next year. They were married for 34 years before Frank’s untimely death.

Inez joined and faithfully attended Green Castle Baptist Church in Louisville for many years until her return to Summerfield in 2005. She became a faithful member of Fair Grove Baptist Church until her health began to decline. Inez loved to host family and friends and would make friends everywhere she went. She also loved to travel, some of her favorite trips being to Africa and Hawaii. Combining her love of hosting and traveling, Inez and Frank invited her parents on a cruise to the Bahamas for their 25th and 50th anniversaries.

Once Inez’s health started to decline her major wish was to spend time with family.

Inez was preceded in death by her parents John and Theresa Hayes, her husband Frank A. Clay Jr., son Frank A. Clay III, brothers James Hayes, John Hayes, and Jerome Hayes, and brothers-in-law Marvin Morehead, Ronald Vines, Alvin Warren, Darnell Clay, and J.D. Perry. Surviving to cherish her memory are her sisters Yvonne Vines of Greensboro N.C, Mary Warren of Stokesdale, NC, Billie Johnson of Summerfield, NC, brother in-laws John Clay (Bettie) of Winston Salem, N.C. and Ben Wells (Lisa) of Winston Salem, N.C., sister in-laws Georgia Hayes of Greensboro, NC, Angela Clay of Louisville, KY, and Becky Perry of TX, two brothers Jerry Hayes of Whitmire S.C., Raymond Featherstone of Spain, nine nieces, eight nephews, special friend Sharon Lay Perry (niece), and a host of friends and family.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to https://www.komen.org.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mrs. Martha Inez (Hayes) Clay, please visit our floral store.