Josephine Hoyt Wilson

PITTSBORO, NC - Josephine Hoyt Wilson, age 87, passed away on Thursday, October 27, 2016 in Pittsboro, NC, where she was a resident of Galloway Ridge at Fearrington. Born in Washington, North Carolina, on December 17, 1928, she was the daughter of John Keais Hoyt, of Washington, and Frances Josephine Copeland, of Kinston. Her mother died suddenly two weeks after her birth, so her early years were spent with her father and grandmother, Isabella Blount Hoyt. When she was three years old, her father married Elsie Irene Benthall, of Woodland, NC. Her early education was in the Washington City Schools. She graduated from both high school and junior college at Saint Marys School in Raleigh, NC. She was presented at the Terpsichorean Club of Raleighs Debutante Ball in 1947. She also attended Salem College in Winston-Salem and then received her Bachelors Degree in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1951, where she was a member of the Chi Omega Sorority. Upon graduation from UNC Chapel Hill, she began her teaching career at William R. Davie Elementary School in Roanoke Rapids. In 1953 she moved to Rocky Mount and began teaching at Fannie Gorham Elementary School, where she was taught the fundamentals of teaching by Miss Fannie Gorham herself. In 1954 she married Robert McArthur Wilson, Jr., the son of the former Superintendent of Rocky Mount City Schools. They adopted two children from the Childrens Home Society in Greensboro, Elizabeth in 1959 and Mack in 1963. She continued her teaching career shortly afterwards and later taught at Wilkinson Elementary School, Braswell Elementary School, Englewood Elementary School and Baskerville Elementary School. There was nothing in life she enjoyed more than teaching and her students loved her as much as she loved them. She delighted in watching them blossom and excel in whatever they undertook, whether it was in the classroom or later as adults with children of their own. In 1979, she retired from teaching and joined New York Life Insurance Company. She dedicated herself wholly to her new career. In two years she achieved company recognition for sales and by 1989 had achieved national industry recognition by receiving the National Quality Award for 10 years, the National Sales Achievement Award for 8 years, the prestigious Centurion Award for 7 years, and by qualifying for Million Dollar Round Table for 7 years in a row. She acquired her Life Underwriters Training Council Fellowship (LUTCF) in 1991. She was President of the Rocky Mount Association of Life Underwriters in 1992. She retired in 1994. A life-long Episcopalian, she grew up attending St. Peters Episcopal Church in Washington, NC. While a resident of Rocky Mount, she was a member of Christ Episcopal Church, St. Andrews Episcopal Church, and Good Shepherd Episcopal Church. She had been active in the altar guilds, Saint Cecilias Guild, the Encouragement Committee, and various Episcopal Church Womens Circles. She was also a former member of the Junior Guild of Rocky Mount, The Altrusa Club, The Win Thorne Garden Club, and The Worthwhile Study Club. She enjoyed her monthly bridge club and supper club and spent her free time with her children, family and friends. She especially enjoyed her second home at Atlantic Beach, where she had spent many summers as a young girl. Before moving to Galloway Ridge in 2005, she enjoyed traveling with her friends and family and journeyed to places, such as Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, Denmark, Japan, China, Scotland, and England. After her move, she was active with the Galloway Ridge Book Club, St. Bartholomews Episcopal Church in Pittsboro, and the Fearrington Womens Club, where she became active in a program to help “at-risk children. This program brought her great joy as she was able to work with children again. She is survived by a daughter, Elizabeth Hoyt Wilson of Durham, NC, a brother, John Keais Hoyt, of Wilmington, NC, and numerous nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her son, Robert McArthur Wilson III and her former husband, Robert McArthur Wilson, Jr. The family will receive friends and relatives on Wednesday, November 2, 2016 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Wheeler and Woodlief Funeral Home Cremation Services. A memorial service will be held at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, 231 N. Church Street in Rocky Mount, NC on Thursday, November 3 at 11:00 a.m., with The Rev. Matthew Johnson officiating. Interment will be at Oakdale Cemetery, 180 E 15th Street in Washington, NC at 3:30 p.m. following the memorial service. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to The Childrens Home Society of NC, P.O. Box 14608, Greensboro, NC 27415. Arrangements entrusted to Wheeler and Woodlief Funeral Home Cremation Services, 1130 N. Winstead Avenue, Rocky Mount, NC 27804. You may share memories and condolences with the family by visiting www.wheelerwoodlief.com. Service Location Not Available Thursday 11/3, 3:30 pm Cemetery Memorial Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church 231 N. Church Street Rocky Mount, NC 27804 ID ) ); ?>"> --> 252-442-1134 --> | Thursday 11/3, 11:00 am