WILMINGTON — Ethel Lorraine Carpenter Dawson died at the Lower Cape Fear Life Care Center in Wilmington, North Carolina on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. She was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Ray Dawson, Sr. and grandson, Derek van der Meyden. Lorraine was born September 30, 1929, to Earl Beale Carpenter and Ethel Mae Bulluck Carpenter, in Tampa, Florida. She and her mother returned to “Granny’s” hometown of Rocky Mount after her father died on April 2, 1933.
Lorraine and Carl started their family in Rocky Mount and later resided in New Bern, Tarboro, Wilmington, and Jacksonville before establishing their final home in the Porters Neck neighborhood of Wilmington.
Lorraine volunteered throughout her life by sharing her pretty face and persuasive skills to promote war bonds in World War II, and later shared her compassion and care for others at New Hanover Memorial Hospital in the surgical waiting room and at the Cornelia Nixon Davis Health Care Center. Her hobbies included duplicate bridge, oil painting and fishing.
She attended Atlantic Christian College in Wilson, N.C. Lorraine retired from careers in the school system at Winter Park Elementary, and as a Deputy Clerk in the New Hanover County Register of Deeds office.
She is survived by her five children, Carl Ray Dawson, Jr. (Lou), Daniel Earl Dawson (Beth), Perry Bradford Dawson (Jo), Robin van der Meyden (Henk), and Betty Holder (fiancé Scott Adams); eight grandchildren, Jeffrey Dawson (Melissa), Lauren Fleischer (Christopher), Bradford Dawson (Sarah), Will Dawson (Marie), Ashley Holder, Carl Holder (fiancé Sarah Martinez), Rachel van der Meyden, and Eric van der Meyden (fiancé Mikaela Siemens); and six great-grandchildren, Evan, Owen, Jacob, Ryleigh, Isla, and Liam.
Graveside services are to be conducted by Reverend Ben Kane, Pastor of Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church, Tarboro at the Pineview Cemetery in Rocky Mount on Saturday, January 21, 2023 at 2:00 p.m.
Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 125 Orange Street, Wilmington, NC 28401, Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church, 303 E. St. James Street, Tarboro, North Carolina 27886 and Lower Cape Fear Life Care, 1414 Physicians Drive, Wilmington NC 28401.
