Obituary of Patricia Ann Worthington Graham ~ 2012

Patricia W. Graham, 77

WALLACE — On Monday evening, March 27, 2012, Patricia Ann Worthington 
Graham died peacefully surrounded by her beloved husband and three 
daughters at Vidant Duplin Hospital in Kenansville, following an 18 month 
battle with breast cancer.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., Thursday March 29, at First 
Baptist Church of Wallace.

The family received friends at Padgett Funeral Home Wednesday from 6 to 8 
p.m.

She was born to Earl Arthur and Hazel Maine (Ervin) Worthington in Kinston 
on April 25, 1934. Her father suffered a massive stroke shortly after her 
birth, requiring her mother to work outside the home. At a very young age, 
Pat contracted pneumonia. Her aunt and uncle, Lida and Norman Brant Hill, 
volunteered to take her for medical treatment in Fayetteville. She 
continued to live with her Aunt Lida and Uncle Brant, who loved and cared 
for her as their own for the remainder of their lives.

She grew up in Roseboro, where she enjoyed a privileged life, known in the 
community as “Pat Hill” and where she was dear in the hearts of all who 
knew her. She was a precious and adorable little girl who always dressed 
well and had a sunshine personality which she carried into her adult life. 
Under the loving, yet strict, tutelage of her Aunt Lida, she learned about 
Southern hospitality, cooking, dancing, and being a lady.

She attended the Methodist Church where she sang in the church choir and 
met her future husband. She graduated from Roseboro High School in May 
1951. During high school, she was involved in the Glee Club and Yearbook 
Club. During the summers, she worked in the office at Hill Spinning Co., 
owned by her Uncle Brant, where she did the payroll and used her 
organization skills to keep things straight and orderly.

Following high school, she planned to attend Meredith College in Raleigh, 
but those plans were changed when she married Leon Irvin Graham, also of 
Roseboro, on Sept. 29, 1951.

Her early married weeks were spent at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, 
Texas, where her groom completed Assistant Battalion Aid School just prior 
to being deployed to Korea. For the next 16 months she lived in Roseboro, 
where she worked at Hill Spinning Co., Hill Motor Company, and First 
Citizens Bank, until her husband Irvin, returned from Korea. She saved her 
husband’s military pay which became the seed money for opening Graham Drug 
Co. in Wallace.

In October 1953, she and her husband moved to Wallace where she threw 
herself into a life of loving and supporting her husband. They had three 
daughters, Pamela Ann on Feb. 4, 1954, Ginny Lynn on April 3, 1956, and 
Sandra Irvin on July 10, 1957. Their proudest accomplishments as parents 
included their daughters becoming Christians, playing the piano and 
graduating from college. Pamela Ann graduated from UNC-Greensboro and 
UNC-Chapel Hill, Ginny Lynn from Appalachian State University, and Sandra 
Irvin from Meredith College.

She devoted her life to her family, home and church. She managed the 
household in a manner that appeared effortless; attended to the needs of 
her three active daughters; and supported her husband’s interests. She 
served her church on various committees and roles including Church 
Treasurer, Grounds, Cradle Roll, Vacation Bible School, Circle Chairman, 
and church hostess; her community on the Duplin County Hall of Fame 
Committee for 11 years, and Duplin County 250th Birthday committee; and 
the Daughters of the American Revolution as Chapter Regent, State 
Committee Chairman for Seimes Microfilm, National Defense, Centennial 
Jubilee and President General’s Project; enjoyed golf, playing bridge, 
needle work, and reading; and is especially well known for her baking, 
sharing this gift with others, and watching over her little “ole” ladies.

Her greatest joy in the world were her husband, Irvin, their three 
daughters, five grandchildren, one great grandson, and five Dachshunds, 
all named Fella.

Patricia was predeceased by her aunt and uncle, Norman Brant and Lida 
(Worthington) Hill of Roseboro, and her parents, Earl Arthur and Hazel 
Maine (Ervin) Worthington of Kinston.

She is survived by her husband and “the great love of her life” for 60 
years, Leon Irvin Graham; three daughters, Pamela Ann Graham-Wilson and 
husband, Kevin M. Wilson of Wilmington, Ginny Lynn G. Bottenus of 
Darlington, S.C., and Sandra Irvin G. Cagle and husband, Charles (Chuck) 
of Franklin, Tenn.; five grandchildren, Brandon Jerome Graham (Danielle), 
Seaside, Ore., John Daniel Brooks (Suzanne), Portland, Ore., Mary 
Katherine Pope, Greenville, Kevin Graham Wilson, Wilmington, and David 
Rankin Wilson, Wilmington; one beautiful great-grandson, Bynum Gable 
Brooks of Portland, Ore.; and her sister, Peggy Webb Northcott of Sun City 
Center, Fla.

In celebration of her life and in lieu of flowers, the family requests
contribution to the L. Irvin and Patricia W Graham Scholarship Fund in 
Community Pharmacy with the Pharmacy Foundation at the Eschelman School of 
Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.or a favorite 
charity.

To sign the guest book, go to www.padgettfuneralhome.net.
A service of Padgett Funeral and Cremation Service, Wallace.





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