AHOSKIE – Dorothy Pierce Evans of Ahoskie, age 82, passed away on August 16, 2016 at her daughter’s home in Murfreesboro, NC. She was born to Nathan and Sarah Pierce on April 22, 1934 in Sunbury, NC. She married Curtis Evans in 1949, and remained married to him until his death in 1999.

Dorothy was a hard worker, who only knew hard manual labor most all her life. She started out, just like most people of that time, working on the farm. In 1962, she and her husband became the first caretakers of Highland Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Ahoskie, NC. She took on the sole responsibility of caring for the cemetery in 1967, and continued through 1997, when she retired. She was very proud of the work that she did, and it showed. She was referred to as “The Cemetery Lady”, and she was OK with that.

She loved her family, and there was nothing that she would not do for them. She was the glue that held the family together, and the rock that kept the family stable, safe, and secure. She was loved by everyone who knew her.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Sarah Pierce Lassiter, and her father Nathan Pierce; her husband of almost fifty years, Curtis Evans; her sisters, Elizabeth Casper and Addie West; and her brothers, Thomas, Berkley and Erving Pierce.

She is survived by two daughters, Diane Aston and her husband Chris, and Elaine Wynn and her husband Barry; four granddaughters, Michele Wilkey and her husband Kenny, Tammy Crain and her husband Bryan, Nicole Schroeder and her husband Billy and Amber Futrell and husband Mike; seven great-grandchildren, Toby and Eryn Wilkey, Tristan Crain, Chris Moyer, Chloe Schroeder, Dylan and Corbin Futrell; and one sister, Marjorie Dozier.

The family wishes to thank her long-time primary physician, Dr. Charles Sawyer, who, no matter what, always made her feel a little better before she left his office. We want to thank MedX Transportation family of Ahoskie. Their transporters became like family to all of us. And without Community Hospice, we could not have handled our loss with such grace. The support and caring from Community Hospice was outstanding.

The family will receive friends on Thursday evening from 7:00-8:30 pm at Garrett-Sykes Funeral Service of Ahoskie.

A celebration of life service will be conducted on Friday, August 19, 2016 at 2 pm at the Chapel of Garrett-Sykes Funeral Service with the Rev. Greg Hurdle officiating. The burial will follow at the Highland Memorial Gardens.

Donations may be made directly to Community Home Care and Hospice or you may donate online to Community Home Care and Hospice by visiting www.tmcfunding.com/search and type Dorothy Pierce Evans.

Garrett-Sykes Funeral Service of Ahoskie is handling the arrangements for the Evans family and online condolences may be directed to the family by visiting www.garrettsykesfs.com