Tributes

Psalm 30:2 “Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.” First Quarter Mechio Deneen Kornegay peacefully transitioned from this life to eternal life on Wednesday May 13, 2026, at home. She was born on July 12, 1965, to the late Burnis Lee “Plute “Kornegay Sr and Lillian Marie Kornegay. She was raised in the village of Simpson, NC. At a tender age she was baptized & was a member of Simpson chapel under the leadership of Bishop Matthew Best. She sang in the youth choir. From adolescence to adulthood, she had a natural love for the game of basketball. You could always find her at the park or G.R. Whitfield gym on Sunday playing basketball. She would play anyone, anytime, anywhere, male or female. A graduate of D.H Conley High School, Class of 1984. During her high school tenure, she was a standout student athlete. She set the standard and broke records at the local and state level. Her gift earned her a full scholarship to continue her education & play basketball at UNC-Asheville. She was both academically and athletically gifted. She graduated in 1989 from UNC-Asheville with a Batchelor of Science in Computer science. Second Quarter Upon college graduation she worked at TRW in Greenville for numerous years until the plant closed. She then enrolled into Pitt Community College and earned an associate degree in Health Information systems technology. She was employed at ECU for many years until her demise. She loved working at ECU and her friendship with Patrick Merricks. Third Quarter She was a die-hard fan of the UNC Tarheels. March madness was her favorite time of the year. Although she had a love of basketball. She also had a love for family. She enjoyed traveling to Elizabeth City to visit her beloved cousins Tyrone Kennedy & Carolyn Hamm. Sunday gatherings in Grimes land with her extended family. The Moore’s and the Daniels. She also loved to attend the Harper Family gatherings and The Gorham/Hall gatherings with her cousins from Greene County. Her beloved nephew and nieces were the center of her joy. She looked forward to spending time on Saturdays with Nicole. Mechio was preceded in death by her grandmom, Louise “Ma Sis” Kennedy; brother, Burnis Lee “Dick” Kornegay Jr; niece, Nakevia “Nikki” Harper, and nephew; Nicholas Sumerell; a special cousin, Lorrie Ann Moore. Fourth Quarter She leaves to cherish her memories. Her mother, Lillian Kornegay; sisters Laverne “Nanette” Kornegay (Ronnie Carter) and Lorraine Moore; nieces, Nicole Sumerell, Katrina Alexander (Jermaine), and Krystal Carter; great niece, Philisha Chen; great nephews, Phillip Chen, Phabian Chen, and Kerry Paul; uncle, Williard Gatlin; aunt, Annie Hardy; a host of cousins, a few were dear to her heart, Reggie Moore, Lloyd Moore, Gary Moore, Glenda Daniels White, Tyrone Daniels, Bonnie Morris and Alma Berg; lifelong and childhood friends, Margie Green, Gerald Green, Scott Streeter, and Evangeline Battle. Her beloved fur baby “ZOEY” Mechio was a gentle giant, a quiet light that shined brightly and will be missed by all she encountered. “Be true to the game, because the game will be true to you” and the basketball court for me, is the most peaceful place that I can imagine-Micheal Jordan

Tributes

Ms. Mechio Kornegay

July 12, 1965 - May 13, 2026