Teresa Jean Rector, 59, died Thursday, July 2, 2020, at New Hanover Regional Medical Center after a prolonged illness. She was born June 13, 1961, to Charles Eugene and Ann Clarice (Faulkner) Rector in Guildford County.
In addition to her parents, her mother was subsequently married to Kenneth Pittman, who assisted in rearing Teresa from a young age, and he, also, preceded her in death.
Teresa is survived by her longtime confidant and companion, Beth Bowen, who joined her in Wilmington from Tennessee 20 years ago. The intention back then was for Beth to be in Wilmington for just a brief period, however, fate had other plans. A long and enduring friendship ensued.
Also surviving are Beth’s sister, Tracy Naugle, whose relationship was thought of more like “sister’s in heart, but not blood,” along with Tracy’s three children, Reiley, Sarah, and her partner, Orion, and their son, Vayl, and Ethan; sisters, Della Allen, and her husband, Bryan, and their children Alexander and Spencer, and Linda Vescovi, and her husband, Peter; brother, Ken Pittman, and his two daughters, Royal and Jessica, and Jessica’s daughter, Kennedy; stepsister, Jeannie Lyndon, and her husband, David, and their three sons, Emory, James and Lewis; and many aunts and uncles. She leaves behind many people who loved and cherished her and the contributions she made to their lives.
Teresa’s career path followed in her mother’s, in that, she too became a physical therapist just like her. Teresa genuinely enjoyed her career as a physical therapist for the honor and satisfaction that it brought her to help heal people so that they could regain their mobility to achieve their best quality of life.
Teresa had a strong faith in God and was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for many years. She loved to share her testimony in the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others so they could experience the same joy that her faith brought her.
Teresa was enormously proud of her Southern heritage, genealogy searches and discovered ancestry. She loved to pass on her family stories so that future generations can know and treasure their ancestry.
She was an animal lover and leaves behind her two precious dogs.
A visitation will be held from 1:30 to 2 p.m., Thursday, July 9, with funeral services at 2 p.m., at the Wilmington Chapel, 1535 S. 41st St., Wilmington. Burial will immediately follow in Greenlawn Memorial Park, Wilmington.
Share online condolences with the family at Wilmington Funeral & Cremation.
