May 14, 2025, 85, Goldsboro —

Judith Ann Pope Holland, 85, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at the SECU Hospice House in Smithfield. Judy was born in Johnston County on July 27, 1939 to the late James William Pope and Mavis Thorne Pope.

Judy graduated from Kenly High School. She worked at Etheridge Oil Company and Ace Transport for over 30 years. She was a devoted mother and granny to her four grandchildren. She found the greatest joy in their presence and always putting their needs before her own.

Judy was an avid reader with an insatiable curiosity and a deep love for stories. She spent countless hours in the kitchen, where she expressed her creativity through cooking, filling her home with warmth and delicious aromas. Her garden was a place she nurtured with care and where beauty flourished under her touch.

Judy is survived by her children, Leigh Holland Henderson and husband, Mark of Boiling Springs, SC and James Neal Holland and wife, Judy Carol of Kenly; her grandchildren, Madeline, Austin, Eli and Baylee.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, James W. Holland and her brother, William Ray Pope.

The family will receive friends on Monday, May 19, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at Kenly Funeral Service. A service to honor Judy’s life will be held in the chapel at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Richie Cuddington officiating the service. Interment will conclude in the Kenly Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be given in her memory to the Kenly Fire Department, P.O. Box 868, Kenly, NC 27542 or SECU Hospice House, 426 Hospital Rd, Smithfield, NC 27577.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Kenly Funeral and Cremation Service.