Frances Sheppard

Chesapeake – Frances Hope Sheppard, 79, passed away peacefully on December 31, 2008. She is survived by her four children, Gregory Curtis, Michael P. Curtis, Bryan Curtis and Carol Curtis; her brothers, Lee Sheppard Jack Sheppard, Earl Sheppard; her sisters Shirley Oliver, Joyce Jackson, Becky Waters; her grandchildren, Christy Beaupre, J. Scott Curtis, Justin R. Curtis, Noah Curtis and two greatgrandchildren.

Mary Shearer

Mary Kathleen ‘Kitty’ Shearer, 84, of 1019 W. Main Street, Elizabeth City, NC, died Monday, December 29, 2008 at Winslow’s Memorial Home. Mrs. Shearer was born in Webster County, WV, the daughter of the late William A. Lewis and the late Anna Moffatt and the widow of Ross Shearer. She was a member of the D.A.V. Auxiliary, and enjoyed volunteering her time at the thrift store at Hurburt Air Force Base in Ft. Walton, FL.

Mrs. Shearer is survived by her son, William Arden Shearer and his wife Loretta of Elizabeth City; grandchildren, Megan Bradshaw and Heidi Kazle; and great-grandchildren, Emma Kazle and Jackson Kazle.

A funeral service will be held in Webster Springs, WV at a later date. Mrs. Shearer will be laid to rest in the Odd Fellow’s Cemetery in Cowen, WV. Dodd and Reed Funeral Home in Webster Springs will be handling arrangements for the Shearer family in West Virginia. You may sign the online guest register at www.twifordfh.com. Twiford Funeral Homes Memorial Chapel, 405 East Church Street, Elizabeth City, NC is assisting the Shearer family.

Captain Jonn O. “Jack” Leatherwood, Jr.

Frisco, NC

Captain John ‘Jack’ O. Leatherwood, Jr., USCG, Ret., 80, of Frisco, NC died Monday, December 29, 2008 in Nags Head, NC. Born in Baltimore, MD, he was the son of the late John O. and Lillie May Thompson Leatherwood. He was a member of the Hatteras Island Masonic Lodge, the Cape Hatteras Anglers Club, and the Chief Warrant Officers Association.

Mr. Leatherwood is survived by his wife, Lovie Alice Peele Leatherwood of the home; two daughters, Jacqueline L. Engelbrecht and husband Jae of Fairfax Station, VA and Sharon L. Kirks of Frisco, NC; a son, John O. Leatherwood, III and wife Teresa of Wilmington, NC; two brothers, Billy Leatherwood of Florida and Donald Leatherwood of Maryland; five grandchildren, Joe Engelbrecht, Kellie Isla, Jeffrey Engelbrecht, John O. Leatherwood, IV, and Tiffany Bridges; and five great grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 2:00 PM at Twiford’s Island Chapel, Hatteras with the Rev. Dwight Burrus and the Rev. David Stowe officiating. Burial will be in the Peele Family Cemetery. The family will receive friends and relatives at the funeral home on Wednesday from 1:00 PM until the funeral hour.

Margaret P. Sawyer

Margaret Pipkin Sawyer, 76, of 702 Maple Grove Church Road, Dunn, NC died Friday December 28, 2007 at her residence. A native of Pasquotank County, Mrs. Sawyer was the daughter of the late Annie Rogerson and Ralph Vester Pipkin, and the wife of Herman Lee Sawyer, Sr. Mrs. Sawyer was a Supervisor for the AT&T Telecommunications Company, a charter member of the New Beginnings Assembly of God church in South Mills, and a volunteer at the Albemarle Hospital for several years.

Other than her husband, Herman, Mrs. Sawyer is survived by two daughters, Beverly Sawyer Perry and her husband Jim of Dunn, NC, and Susan Sawyer Lord and her husband Mark of Charlotte, NC; two sons, Herman Lee ‘Buddy’ Sawyer, Jr. and his wife Alice of Elizabeth City, NC, and Kelly Warren Lacy and his wife Lisa also of Elizabeth City, NC; two sisters, Lorene Walters of Elizabeth City, NC, and Clarine Pastorius of Orlando, FL; three brothers, R. Kendrick ‘Ken’ Pipkin of Elizabeth City, NC, Henry Clay Pipkin of Hookerton, NC, and Nathan E. ‘Pete’ Pipkin, Sr. Ayden, NC; eight grandchildren; three great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be Monday, December 31, 2007, at 2:00 PM at the Glad Tidings Community Church with Minister Kelly Lacy officiating. Burial will be at West Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery. A visitation for Mrs. Sawyer will be Sunday, December 30, 2007 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Glad Tidings Community Church, 1104 West Main Street, Elizabeth City, NC 27909. The family will be available to receive friends at the home of Herman and Alice Sawyer, 305 Selden Street, Elizabeth City, NC, at all other times. Memorial donations may be made in Mrs. Sawyer’s name to the Autism Society of North Carolina, 505 Oberlin Road, Suite 230, Raleigh, NC 27605. Twiford Funeral Home, Northside Chapel, 1115 N. Road Street, Elizabeth City, NC is assisting the family with arrangements. To sign the online guest register, please visit www.twifordfh.com

Verna Smith

Verna Ruth Fidler Smith, age 88, of 901 South Halstead Boulevard, Elizabeth City, NC died Saturday, December 29, 2007 at the Albemarle Hospital. Mrs. Smith, a native of Vermilion, IL, was the daughter of the late Lawrence Dale Fidler and Hazel Garnet Hall Fidler and the husband of Murray Seaton Smith. She was a retired clerk and a Methodist.

Mrs. Smith is survived by a daughter, Mary Smith Burnett and husband John of Hertford, NC; a son, Dennis Habel and wife Betty of Hertford, NC; a brother, Gordon Fidler of Bloomington, IL; two grandchildren, Benjamin Smith and Marina Ginn; and two great granddaughters, Isadora Ginn and Karis Ginn.

A graveside funeral service will be Wednesday, January 2, 2008 at 2:00 at West Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery with the Rev. F. Joe Griffith officiating. The family will receive friends at Twiford’s Northside Chapel from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Wednesday prior to the service. You may sign the online register at www.twifordfh.com. Twiford’s Northside Chapel, 1115 North Road Street, Elizabeth City, NC is in charge of arrangemen

Lynn Howard Berry

Lynn Howard Berry, Sr., age 64, of 235 Smith Corner Road, Camden, NC, died Friday, December 28, 2007 at his residence. Mr. Berry, born in Elizabeth City, was the son of C. C. Berry of Camden, NC and the late Nellie Cartwright Berry and the husband of Annette Bush Berry of the residence. He was a retired insurance agent, a member of Shiloh Baptist Church and the Widow’s Son Masonic Lodge # 75 AF & AM.

Besides his wife and father, he is survived by a daughter, Jennifer Lynn Berry of Camden, NC; three sons, Dennis Edward Berry and Lynn Howard Berry, Jr., both of Camden, NC, and Christopher George Berry of Elizabeth City, NC; and a granddaughter, Crystal Richardson. He was pre-deceased by a brother, Dennis Ray Berry.

A memorial service will be Monday, December 31, 2007 at 11:00 AM at Shiloh Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. John Luton assisted by the Rev. David Combs. The family will receive friends at the residence of his father, C. C. Berry, 299 Smith Corner Road, Camden, NC, and in the church fellowship hall immediately after the service. Memorial donations may be made to the Masonic Home for Children, 600 College Street, Oxford, NC 27565 or the charity of one’s choice. You may sign the online register at www.twifordfh.com. Twiford’s Memorial Chapel, 405 East Church Street, Elizabeth City, NC, is in charge of arrangements.

William Joseph Smith

HATTERAS, NC

William Joseph Smith, 69, of Hatteras, died Friday December 26, 2008 in his residence. Mr. Smith was born in York, SC and was owner/operator of his own boat building company and a Mason.

He was the son of the late Joseph Darby and Mary Rogers Smith and the husband of the late Doris Glenn Smith.

Surviving are his daughter, Judy S. Grist of Rock Hill, SC and his son, Joe Smith of Frisco; and four grandchildren, Buddy Grist, Ben Grist, Will Smith and Grayson Smith. Mr. Smith was preceded in death by his two sisters, Margaret S. Adkins and Katharine S. Price.

A service of remembrance will be in Hatteras United Methodist Church, Monday December 29, 2008 at 2:00pm by Rev. Cory Oliver. Inurnment will be in Lakeview Cemetery, York, SC.

Twiford Island Chapel Hatteras is assisting the family.

Robert Boyce

Robert Shelton Boyce, Sr., 79, of 206 Scotland Drive, Elizabeth City, NC, died Friday, December 26, 2008 at the Albemarle Hospital. Mr. Boyce, a native of Chowan County, was the son of the late George Eugene Boyce and Pearl Mizzelle Boyce and the husband of Kay Jones Boyce of the residence. He was a retired mail carrier and a Korean War Veteran having served in the US Army and US Air Force. He was a member of Blackwell Memorial Baptist Church, a Deacon, member and former President of the J. L. White Sunday School Class, Joy Club and Youth Sunday School Teacher. He served on the Altar Committee, Fellowship Committee, Baptismal Committee, and Communion Committee and was an Adult Choir member. He was a former member of the Pine Lakes Country Club and the ECPRD Senior Center. In the Senior Center he participated in many Senior Games winning many medals in billiards, shuffleboard and horseshoes. He participated in golf tournaments and was always willing to help people any way he could.
Besides his wife he is survived by a daughter, Bonnie Boyce Galarde and husband Arden of Waxhaw, NC; a son, Robert S. Boyce, Jr., and wife Amber of Waxhaw, NC; a sister, Nell Kockler of Elizabeth City, NC; two brothers, Charles Boyce of Hampton, VA and George Boyce of South Hills, VA; six grandchildren; Jesse Boyce, Sally Hansen, Kizzie Boyce, Natalie Norwood, Kirby Galarde and Meagan Galarde; and one great granddaughter, Marisa Hansen. He was pre-deceased by two brothers, Ernest Boyce and Richard Boyce.
A funeral service will be Monday, December 29, 2008 at 2:00 PM at Blackwell Memorial Baptist Church with the Rev. Corey Miller officiating. Burial will be in New Hollywood Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7:00 to 8:30 PM Sunday at the funeral home, immediately after the service at the church and at other times at the residence. Memorial donations may be made to Blackwell Baptist Church, 700 North Road Street, Elizabeth City, NC 27909 or to the American Lung Association, PO Box 27985, Raleigh, NC 27611. You may sign the online guest register at www.twifordfh.com. Twiford Funeral Homes Memorial Chapel, 405 East Church Street, Elizabeth City, NC is in charge of arrangements.

Marci Beal

Marci W. Beale

Chesapeake- Marci Wilson Beale, 31, went home to be with her Lord, Sunday, December 28, 2008. Mrs. Beale was born in Norfolk to Phillip and Patty Eads Wilson. She was an active member of Great Bridge Freewill Baptist Church, the president of the Great Bridge Freewill Baptist School PTA and an artist, who loved drawing. She was loved by all who knew her and will be greatly missed.
Left to cherish her memory are her husband of 10 years, Brian Beale; daughter, April Sierra Beale; son Chris Wilson; parents, Phillip and Patty Wilson; brothers, Mike Wilson of Christiansburg, VA, and Nic Lengyel of Chesapeake; father-in-law, Bobby Beale; paternal grandmother, Jean Wyche; maternal grandmother Rose Marie Eads; and a host of other family and friends.
Funeral services will be held on Friday at 11:00am at Great Bridge Freewill Baptist Church with Rev. Hal Jones. A reception will follow. The family will receive friends at Twifords Colonial Chapel, Chesapeake on Wednesday from 7:00 until 8:30. Memorial donations may be made to the family for a scholarship fund for Sierra Beale. Twifords Funeral Home, Chesapeake is handling arrangements. The family would like to express their sincere appreciation for the loving care provided to Mrs. Beale by Dr. Michael Eggert and associates. Condolences may be expressed to the family at

Roderick Earl Dawson

Roderick Earl Dawson, 83, of 203 Hathaway Drive, Elizabeth City, NC, died Thursday, December 27, 2007 at Winslow Memorial Home. He was born February 15, 1924 in Pasquotank County, NC, and was the son of the late Joshua Julian and Blanche Sutton Dawson and the widower of Thelma Shoemaker Dawson. He was a consultant for U.S. Steel and a member Blackwell Memorial Baptist Church. Mr. Dawson was a veteran of U.S. Navy having served his country in both WWII and the Korean War.

Survivors include his daughters, Stephanie Dawson Currier of Bailey, NC, and Wen-Yu Dawson Huang of Taiwan; and his loving companion, Sybil Commander of Elizabeth City, NC, and his cousins, Anne Dykeman of Seven Lakes, NC and Polly Polinski of Havelock, NC; six grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and numerous other cousins. He was predeceased by a son, Julian Allen Dawson.

A memorial service will be held Wednesday, January 2, 2008 at
11:00 A.M. at Twiford’s Funeral Home, Northside Chapel, 1115 North Road Street, Elizabeth City with Rev. James Clark. In lieu of flowers memorial donation may be directed to: Albemarle Hospice, P. O. Box 189, Elizabeth City, NC 27909. Twiford Funeral Home, Northside Chapel, 1115 North Road Street, Elizabeth City, NC, is assisting the Dawson family with arrangements. You may sign the on line guest register at www.twifordfh.com. 252-335-4395.