Tuesday, June 9, 2026 2:53 pm

Jeanne Ellen Harden McCord died at home Thursday morning, June 4, and stepped into eternity at the welcome of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Born to the late Irvin Thomas and Mabel Edwards Harden on August 17, 1948, Jeanne grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina, and graduated from New Hanover High School. She won a number of pageants with a piano talent, and she was crowned Miss Wilmington in 1967. After taking some college classes at Miller Motte Business College, she jumped into an adventurous though short-lived career as a flight attendant with Piedmont Airlines..

Jeanne married the late Jack Lane Yarboro, Jr., also of Wilmington, in 1972, and the two moved to Shelby, NC, where she dedicated herself to what God created her to be: mother to Jonathan and Anna. As a stay-at-home mom, Jeanne enjoyed volunteering in her children's schools, serving on the Board of Elections, and leading the Bereavement Committee at her church. She found great joy in serving families while they were in a season of great loss. Jeanne poured out her life, sacrificed generously for others, and fiercely protected her children while teaching them to follow Jesus and put others before themselves.

Whether it was a Star Trek marathon, a Bonanza rerun, a John Grisham novel, or a childhood memory recounted with great detail, Jeanne loved a good story -- stories interrupted with joyous, uncontrolled laughter were some of her favorite things.

In 1994, as her children grew up, Jeanne began working at what was then Cleveland Memorial Hospital until she retired in 2013 after nineteen years of service. While there, she gained an enormous appreciation for nursing professionals, and while she thoroughly enjoyed serving patients in the various jobs she held there, most of all she cherished the deep and sometimes mischievous friendships she built with other seasoned women serving in similar jobs.

Later in life, Jeanne met the love of her life and fellow adventurous spirit Vic McCord of Shelby. They enjoyed hiking, exploring, traveling, and riding motorcycles together for many years. In 2014, she and Vic gave her son Jonathan the honor of officiating their wedding on July 5, celebrating with a raucous firework show! Their marriage was a tender one, marked by grace, honesty, and lots of laughter.

Jeanne was a 40-year member of Elizabeth Baptist Church, and her most trusted friends were her Sunday School Class of courageous women who challenged each other to be strong prayer warriors. They remained faithful and true to her until the very end, and she thanked God for them every day.

Jeanne is survived by husband William Victor "Vic" McCord of Shelby; sister Annette Marie Harden Connor of Sumter, SC; son Jonathan Yarboro and wife Felicia of High Point, NC; daughter Anna Yarboro Ramsey and husband David of Boiling Springs, NC; grandchildren Maria Annette Ramsey of Jacksonville, FL; Olivia Ramsey Byars and husband Colt of Gaffney, SC; Katherine Yarboro Garner and husband Tanner of Thomasville, NC; and Logan Thomas Ramsey and wife Shelby of Boiling Springs, NC; as well as great-grandchildren Graham Byars and Kyla Garner.

With Cecil M. Burton Funeral Home handling all arrangements, the family will receive friends at 10:00 and a funeral service immediately following at 11:00 with the Reverends Jonathan Yarboro and Jim Brackett on Saturday, June 20, 2026. A small internment service will follow at a later date for family at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Wilmington, NC.