Ruth Best Gatling

Ruth Best Gatling passed away peacefully on September 3, 2016 surrounded by her loving family. A celebration of her life will be held at First Baptist Church in Rocky Mount on Thursday at 11 a.m. Burial will take place prior to the service at Rocky Mount Memorial Park Cemetery at 10 a.m.

Ruth was born, raised and lived a charmed life in Warsaw, NC. She went off to East Carolina Teachers College and, while living in Cotton Hall, met the love of her life, Julian Irving Gatling, Jr. They married, raised two daughters and enjoyed more than fifty years together in Rocky Mount.

Ruth was a lifelong homemaker, cook, wife, mother, grandmother and, more recently, great grandmother. One could never enter her home and leave hungry. There was no limit to her generosity and love for others. Through her strong faith she taught us how to live, but more importantly she taught us how to give. She loved to read and continued to stay current on world affairs. Our family was blessed to celebrate her 89th birthday with her just a couple weeks ago.

She is preceded in death by her husband and her parents, Annie Carroll Best and Claude Burbank Best; two brothers, Claude Burbank Best, Jr. and Robert Carroll Best; and her oldest great-granddaughter, Georgia Grace Godwin.

Ruth leaves to cherish her memory her daughters Betsy Anne Gatling Godwin and husband Charles Preston Godwin, Jr. and Judy Carroll Gatling Morgan and husband Robert Edward (Bob) Morgan all of Greenville. She is also survived by her grandchildren Charles Preston Godwin III, wife Amber and daughter Sailor Anne of Greenville; Julian Marion Morgan, wife Jessica and daughter Julia Lee of Greenville; Ryce Godwin Danford, husband Matt and son John Matthew of Raleigh; Robert Edward (Rem) Morgan II, wife Jaclyn and son Gatling Creek of Greenville; Hadley Godwin Howard and husband Whit of Raleigh; and Jon Durham Morgan and wife Kelly of Raleigh.

Our family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Ruth’s dear friends, wonderful caregivers at The Fountains at the Albemarle, and especially to the doctors and staff at Vidant Edgecombe Hospital – a truly special place.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to First Baptist Church, 200 S. Church St., Rocky Mount, NC 27804 or to Team Georgia, Inc. in support of childhood cancer research at 601 Queen Anne’s Rd, Greenville, NC 27858.

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.