Hannah Jane Shealy

Hannah Jane Shealy, age 67, has peacefully left us in her home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on April 19th, 2025. Born on November 2nd, 1957, to Camille Edon and Donald Albert Shealy in Manning, South Carolina, Hannah Jane lived a life rich with passion and purpose. Hannah Jane attended the University of South Carolina, where she majored in English and Journalism and was a proud Gamecocks ride-or-die fan. It was during her time there that she began her iconic career in journalism, contributing to the school newspaper and leading the poetry society alongside her friends. Her professional journey took her through esteemed publications including Charleston Magazine, Florida Today, and USA Today, where she reported on a range of topics from sports to major events like the Challenger Explosion.

Following her time in journalism, she transitioned into academia, using her expertise at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Sociology Department, where she worked on the journal called Social Forces. After the journal’s acquisition by Oxford Press, Hannah Jane continued her commitment to higher education, collaborating with scientists in China to help them publish their research in English. Her professional path led her to work at renowned institutions such as New York University, Yale University, University of Chicago, UNC, and Duke University.

Outside of her outstanding professional career, Hannah Jane was a loving mother and a passionate lover of history and art. She loved the music of Van Halen and Lynyrd and listened to them on all occasions. Hannah Jane’s greatest pride was her daughter, Jia “Maggie” Shealy, whom she lovingly adopted from China. Maggie was truly the “love of her life,” and for the first three years of her life, they were inseparable, wandering around Chapel Hill as two peas in a pod. Together, they played, sang, and created countless memories that filled their lives with laughter and joy. Hannah Jane’s love and dedication to Maggie were evident in everything she did, and she gave much warmth and affection of a truly devoted mother. Hannah Jane’s legacy will continue to live on through Maggie, her mother Camille Daniel, siblings Camilla Groome (Chuck), Lynn Daniel, Donald Daniel (Kasi), as well as her nephews Tyler Groome, Dalton Groome, Weston Groome, Austin Daniel, and niece Carlie Daniel.