POLLYANNA LANGSTON
Feb. 7, 1928-March 1, 2014
Pollyanna Langston, 86, Newton Grove, N.C., passed away peacefully at Kitty Askins Hospice Center in Goldsboro, N.C., surrounded by her family.
Pollyanna was born Feb. 7, 1928, in the Bentonville community of Johnston County to the late Frank and Clarissa Westbrook Langston.
She graduated from Meadow High School in 1945, and began her college education at Meredith College. She was graduated from there with honors in 1949 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in education.
Following Meredith, she became an elementary educator in both Johnston and Sampson county schools.
Later, Polly began her post graduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She completed her master's degree in sociology at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga in 1961.
Polly enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the field of social work, including tenures with the Department of Social Services of Johnston, Wake and Mecklenburg counties.
Later she served as the director of Social Services of Stokes County, culminating with the position of regional director of Social Services for Eastern North Carolina.
Polly's interests included travel, playing bridge and working crossword puzzles, but her greatest love was reading. British history and murder mysteries were her particular passions.
Her family held a special place in her heart, and she was a very devoted and generous daughter, sister and aunt to her family.
Polly was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Clarissa Langston; a niece, Maria Gombatz Murray; a nephew, Jay Bryan Henderson; and a brother-in-law, Robert Gombatz.
She is survived by two sisters, Ruth L. Gombatz of Raleigh and Frances L. Henderson (Jay B.) of Newton Grove. Polly is also survived by two nieces, Paige H. Head of Cherry Grove Beach, S.C., and Lisa Olsson of Raleigh; four nephews, Karl Gombatz, Frank Gombatz and Chris Henderson all of Raleigh and Kurt Gombatz of Los Angeles, Calif.
The funeral will be held Wednesday, March 5, at 11 a.m. at Mill Creek Christian Church.
Visitation will also take place at the church from 10 to 11 a.m. prior to the service. The Rev. Dr. Jerry Burton will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Reading is Fundamental (RIF) at www.Rif.org or 1-888-725-4801, or Kitty Askins Hospice Center, The Community Development Department 3HC, 2402 Wayne Memorial Drive, Goldsboro, N.C., 27534.
(Pd)
Published in Obituaries on March 4, 2014 1:48 PM