Ms. Joyce Elaine Kinney Maxey, 68, died Monday, March 24, 2025, after a lengthy battle with cancer. The funeral will be Friday, March 28, 2025, at 3:00 P.M. at Oxford-University United Methodist Church with Rev. Eddie Rester and Rev. Wes Ingram officiating. Visitation will be held Thursday, March 27, 2025, from 4:00 P.M. until 6:00 P.M. at Waller Funeral Home, and again on Friday beginning at 2:00 P.M. in the atrium of the church. Burial will follow the service in Oxford Memorial Cemetery.
Elaine was born on November 6, 1956, in Oxford, Mississippi, to the late Hazel Joyce Hoffman and Grover C. Kinney, Jr.
After starting a family of her own in New Albany, Mississippi, Elaine moved to Decatur, Alabama in 1984. She joined First American Bank in 1985, where she served in different roles before eventually becoming Vice President of the Decatur Mortgage Division. She was employed there for 27 years and then transferred to Renasant Bank in the mortgage division where she worked for 12 years. Following her retirement in 2021, she returned to her hometown of Oxford to be close to family.
While in Decatur, Elaine was a member of First United Methodist Church, served two terms as treasurer of the Hospice of the Valley, served on the Decatur Red Cross Board, was a member of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Rotary Club. Upon returning to Oxford, she rejoined Oxford-University United Methodist Church.
Elaine enjoyed a wonderful career and loved her community involvement, but family was most important to her. Her greatest joy was hosting parties for her family and friends. Elaine loved a theme and would go all out in celebration, creating precious memories and fun for everyone. Annual holiday gatherings were always the most fun at her house, where Elaine would host Easter egg hunts, Memorial Day gatherings, 4th of July barbeques, and trips to Tate Farms pumpkin patch in the fall. Her warm and loving home welcomed everyone in, and her delicious spreads of food impressed all, most notably her famous peach ice cream and pound cakes. Known as EG to her grands, Ella Saylor and Ryan, EG was her most prized role! For years, EG drove from Decatur to Oxford every other weekend to have time with her grands. She enjoyed hanging out with them, planning adventures and taking them to visit family. When she retired to Oxford, she cherished being closer to them. She soon became a familiar face in the crowd of Ella Saylor’s cheer competitions and games, and Ryan’s soccer and baseball games. When she wasn’t busy with the grands, she enjoyed sitting in the backyard and watching the birds at her feeders, shopping for art and antiques, and visits from Decatur friends. Elaine often returned to Decatur to continue participating in her supper club gatherings, where she enjoyed catching up with her friends.
Elaine is survived by her daughter, Emily Brigtsen and her husband, Will, of Oxford, Mississippi; sisters, Christi Hardy and her husband, Wayne, of Taylor, Mississippi and Beth Dorris and her husband, Kevin, of Oxford, Mississippi; brother, Kin Kinney and his wife, Laura, of Taylor, Mississippi; and two grandchildren, Ella Saylor and Ryan.
Expressions of sympathy or memorial contributions in Elaine’s memory may be made to one of the following organizations:
The Food Pantry, 713 Molly Barr Road, Oxford, Mississippi 38655
Camp Lake Stephens, 117 Lake Stephens Drive, Oxford, Mississippi 38655
The Cook Museum of Natural Science – Scholarship Program, P.O. Box 2955, Decatur, Alabama 35602
Delano Park Conservancy, P.O. Box 742, Decatur, Alabama 35602
