Teresa Foshay McCreary

Teresa Foshay McCreary passed away peacefully with her family at her side at Atrium Pineville on September 23, 2026 from neurological complications following a cardiac arrest five days earlier.

Teresa was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 18, 1975. When she was five, she moved with her family to Lumberton, North Carolina where she graduated from Lumberton High School in 1993. Attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill fulfilled one of her biggest dreams. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Policy and Administration in 1997 and a Master of Accounting in 1998.

Teresa lived in Spencer Dorm on Old Campus for much of her undergraduate years and loved passing the Old Well. UNC remained one of the most meaningful parts of her life. She returned whenever she could to walk around campus or attend a sporting event, and she loved recalling the night she spent in the Dean Dome waiting for basketball tickets. Just as important, UNC gave her lifelong friendships with Carrie, Kelli, and Heidi.

Teresa began her professional career with Deloitte in Raleigh and transferred to Charlotte in 2001. She earned her Certified Public Accountant license in North Carolina. In 2002, she joined Wachovia, now Wells Fargo, in Finance, where she worked until 2018. She then focused on volunteer service, including leading the Book Fair and serving as PTA treasurer at Dilworth Elementary School and Sedgefield Middle School. In 2023, Teresa returned to corporate work part time in the Controller's group at Childress Klein.

In 2024 and 2025, Teresa underwent IV chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation for breast cancer. Following treatment, the cancer was largely in remission.

Teresa was, at heart, a caretaker. She comforted people with hugs and told them how much she loved them. Her faith community began at Uptown Church in Charlotte, where she formed friendships that remained close throughout her life. Some of those friends came to be with her in the hospital. Her faith was most visible in the loving, respectful, and compassionate way she treated people.

She brought that same care to every gathering. Whether a few people were coming for dinner or she was planning a large party, Teresa wanted every detail considered so the experience would be special for her family and friends. Phil often helped bring her plans to life. She enjoyed parties, but she was happiest talking with friends on the side rather than being the center of attention.

Teresa had a playful, silly sense of humor. She loved dad jokes and enjoyed playing practical jokes on friends and family. Brian received her most affectionate teasing. She made a game of getting Phil, whose humor was drier, to laugh; whenever she succeeded, she would happily announce, "Phil laughed."

Teresa enjoyed working on puzzles, trying to manage though escape rooms and slow weekend mornings with a cup of Maxwell House coffee and North Carolina Weekend on PBS. She attended Carolina Panthers, Charlotte FC, Charlotte Hornets, and Charlotte Checkers games and cheered for UNC in many sports, especially men's basketball against Duke.

Above all else, Teresa was a loving and devoted mother to Mac. She gave him hugs, told him how much she loved him, and often said, "I love you more." She admired his caring and compassionate nature and the way he considered how other people might be feeling. During her cancer treatment, he quietly followed what was happening, asked thoughtful questions, and showed how much he understood even when he did not put it into words. When Mac was not around, Teresa would often say, "He is such a great kid. He loves people so much."

Teresa and Phil met at work in 2005 and married in 2008. She was a loving wife and a wonderful companion. They went out to dinner often, spent time together at wine and cocktail bars, and looked for new experiences to share. In early 2026, they finally took the glamping trip Teresa had long wanted near Asheville. She also loved blues musician Taj Mahal, and she and Phil saw him perform in various cities in the US.

Travel was another way Teresa stayed close to the people she loved. After asking Phil where he would go if he could choose anywhere in the world she planned a memorable trip to Iceland and Scotland. They kept a friendly running count of the countries each had visited. She also enjoyed quick family trips around the United States, annual trips with close friends Keiko and Rachel made through Mac’s preschool, weekends at the beach with her parents and brother, and nights spent catching up with her closest college friends.

Besides her husband and son, Teresa is survived by her mother, Patsy Holt Foshay; her father, Glenn Andrew (Andy) Foshay; her brother, Brian Andrew Foshay; his wife, Farrah Sheppard Foshay; and their daughter, Addison Parker Foshay, all of Wagram, North Carolina. She is also survived by many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and friends.

The family will receive visitors on Friday, October 2, 2026 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Hankins and Whittington Funeral Home, 1111 East Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28203.

A private burial will take place on Saturday, October 3, 2026 at Elmwood Cemetery in Charlotte, NC, followed by a funeral at 12:00 p.m. at Myers Park United Methodist Church, 1501 Queens Rd., Charlotte, NC 28207. A celebration of Teresa's life will be held at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to Myers Park United Methodist Church, Crisis Assistance Ministry, or Teresa’s Memorial Bench Fund.