DORIS H. GURLEY
June 1, 1918-Nov. 15, 2013
Doris Hollowell Gurley, 95, passed away Friday, Nov. 15, 2013, at Golden Living Center in Greenville with her daughter by her bedside.
The family will receive friends from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 18, 2013, at Seymour Funeral Home, followed by a service celebrating her life at 11 a.m. in the chapel. Interment will follow in Wayne Memorial Park.
Doris was born in Wayne County June 1, 1918, to the late Charlie Lee Hollowell and Anna May Lewis Hollowell. She was married to the late Molton Gardner Gurley, who preceded her in death March 16, 1983.
Doris lived in the Nahunta community for 47 years before relocating to Gainesville, Fla., in 1997.
In 2007, she returned to North Carolina, where she enjoyed a fulfilled life with family and friends at The Courtyards in New Bern.
She was a graduate of Grantham High School, and received her bachelor's degree in English and French from East Carolina Teachers College (now East Carolina University). Later she earned her master's degree and then 60 hours beyond the master's including certification in library science.
For 42 years, Doris was a high school and community college English teacher, occasionally teaching a second language, French. She had taught in classrooms at Broadway, Clayton, Rocky Mount, Princeton, Nahunta, Goldsboro, Southern Wayne and Wayne Community College. These communities were blessed by the love of a truly honorable and compassionate woman, who touched the lives of many people, including students, teachers and families around the world.
Doris was a longtime member of Nahunta Friends Meeting in the Nahunta community. She was devoted to her church, taught Sunday school for 50 years and was involved in many other activities, where she utilized her gifts and abilities to share the love of God.
After moving to Gaines-ville, she attended Trinity United Methodist Church.
Doris enjoyed traveling and doing things for other people. She loved the many opportunities to mentor young people as a Girl Scout leader, basketball coach, senior adviser, yearbook adviser and adviser of the Beta Club.
For two years, she also worked as a counselor for summer camps.
Above all, she loved spending time with her family and friends.
She also lived a life of dedication to her community. As a teacher, she served at different times as president of the Wayne County Teachers' Organization, the Wayne Community College Teacher Association and the Wayne County Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma of which she was a member for more than 50 years.
In the Extension Homemakers Organization, she served as local president, on several county and state committees and was honored twice as Leader of the Year.
She was also a member of the Nahunta Grange, where she served on several committees.
Throughout the years, Mrs. Gurley enjoyed traveling, photography, reciting and analyzing countless poems.
In 1997, she moved into The Atrium in Gainesville, Fla., where she loved being the chairman of the Atrium Gardeners and being the editor of the Atrium Newsletter for five years.
When she moved to The Courtyards in New Bern, N.C., in 2007, she excelled in leading The Poetry Club for several years. It would be rare to find someone who was able to quote more poetry from memory than Doris H. Gurley.
Doris is survived by her daughter, Elaine Cunningham of Winterville; grandsons, Alexander Cook of Gainesville, Fla., and Zachary Cook of New York, N.Y.; sister, Mildred Parker of Pollocksville; sisters-in-law, Elizabeth Overman of Nahunta and Sue Hollowell of New Bern; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Maud Black, and brothers, Haywood Hollowell and Edwin Hollowell.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Nahunta Friends Church, 2537 N.C. 581 North, Pikeville, N.C., 27863, 919-242-4624; Trinity United Methodist Church, 4000 NW 53rd Ave., Gainesville, Fla., 32653; or Temple Baptist Church, 1500 Kingdom Way, New Bern, N.C., 28560.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.seymourfuneralhome.com.
(Pd)
Published in Obituaries on November 17, 2013 12:59 PM