07/15/2026
🙏🏾🕊️
All non-essential Town of Benson facilities will close this Friday (7-17-26) at 1pm in memory of Commissioner Maxine Holley.
Memorial Service Plans:
- Friday, July 17, 2026 - 4pm - 7pm
Lie in state in the foyer of Benson Town Hall (303 E. Church Street).
- Saturday, July 18, 2026 - 11am - 1pm
Memorial Service in the Benson Town Hall Auditorium.
Burial at Resthaven Cemetery in Dunn to follow immediately after Memorial Service.
▶️ See Congressman Tim Moore honor Commissioner Holley’s legacy on the US House Floor:
https://youtu.be/UVfOCOUBGwM?si=Fq5cf1UWqO6tvlLC
Commissioner Holley’s complete obituary:
Maxine Peacock Holley, 82, of Benson, North Carolina, passed away on Saturday, July 11, 2026. Mrs. Holley lived a life of service — a life devoted to education, family, church, and community.
Joe Edward and Catherine Liles Peacock welcomed their daughter, Maxine, into the world on April 28, 1944. A native of her beloved hometown of Benson in Johnston County, she was determined to better her own life, the lives of her children, and the lives of all whom she had the pleasure of meeting. After graduating from Forest Hill High School in Four Oaks, she continued her pursuit of knowledge and personal betterment at Fayetteville State College, now known as Fayetteville State University.
Mrs. Holley served as a longtime teacher's aide in the Johnston County school system, where she worked at Meadow Elementary School. Following her retirement, she returned to the classroom as a regular substitute teacher at Four Oaks Elementary School. She counted it both an honor and a joy to teach and love her students into the people they were becoming.
Having been part of a grassroots effort in the late 1970s to bring more physicians to Benson, Mrs. Holley served as a founding board member of the Benson Area Medical Center, now known as Benson Health.
In addition to her work in education and community advocacy, Mrs. Holley had the honor of being appointed to serve as a Magistrate Judge for North Carolina's 11th Judicial District, which includes Johnston County. She was also honored to serve as an Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms of the North Carolina General Assembly.
Mrs. Holley was a trailblazer. She was the first woman to serve as Chair of the Benson Housing Authority, and during her tenure directed the implementation of after-school tutoring services for school-age children. In 2017, she became the first woman in Johnston County to win a write-in campaign, earning a seat on the Benson Town Board of Commissioners, where she served faithfully for three terms. She believed deeply in the Town of Benson's obligation to prioritize the safety of its citizens and was, therefore, a fierce champion of the Benson Fire Department — a service she considered fundamental to the well-being of every person blessed to call Benson home.
An active member of Saint Mark Christian Church, Mrs. Holley was engaged in a number of aid committees and the women's fellowship.
Mrs. Holley was the proud mother of Reginald Ronald Holley and Nikita Holley. Her grandchildren include Morgan Jichelle Holley and Quinntina Raines, and her great-grandchild, Zion Holley. She is also survived by her sister, Hazel Peacock Nelson (Fred), and her sister-in-law, Alice Elliott Peacock.
Mrs. Holley was preceded in death by her husband, Horace Lee Holley; her son, Shawn Holley; a great-grandchild, Kimora Holley; her parents, Joe Edward Peacock and Catherine Liles Peacock; her daughter-in-law, Judge Ola M. Lewis; and her siblings, Larry Edward Peacock, Rodney Frinsel Peacock, and Darryl Peacock.
Mrs. Holley was deeply devoted to her family. She invested heavily in her children and expected, in turn, a robust measure of service to others. Maxine Peacock Holley lived her life with zeal — ever striving to make things better and lift others up, guided always by a profound love for humanity.
▶️ Read the Town of Benson press release:
https://www.townofbenson.com/m/newsflash/home/detail/698
▶️ Dafford Funeral Home link for online condolences:
https://www.daffordfuneralhome.com/obituary/MrsMaxine-Holley
