WILMINGTON — Faye Beckwith Rose, 92, of Wilmington, NC, passed away peacefully on January 24, 2025. Born in Durham, NC, to Coy Andrew and Ruby Pierce Beckwith on March 1, 1932, Faye spent her early years in Henderson, NC, where she met and married her high school sweetheart, Thomas Benton Rose III. They shared 68 loving years of marriage until his passing in 2020.
A graduate of Henderson High School, Faye was a talented basketball player and the head majorette of the band. She continued her education at Pfeiffer Junior College, excelling in basketball and campus life. She was crowned Miss Henderson in the inaugural Miss Henderson Pageant in 1951 and was subsequently a contestant in the 1951 Miss North Carolina pageant.
Early in her marriage, Faye taught school in Wildwood, NJ, while her husband served with the U.S. Coast Guard. Together, they moved frequently during Tommy’s 35-year career with Rose’s Stores Inc., ultimately making Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington, NC, their cherished homes.
Faye had a lifelong love for the beach, tennis, and flowers – not just roses. She played competitive tennis into her late eighties, earning medals at the local, state, district, and national levels. An avid gardener and talented arranger, she delighted in creating beautiful floral arrangements for her home, friends, and Wrightsville United Methodist Church, where she was a devoted member.
Preceded in death by her parents, husband Tommy, grandson T. Benton Rose V, daughters-in-law Janice and Karen, mother and father-in-law, Kathryn and T.B. Rose, Jr., sister Canella and her husband John Baity, sister-in-law Ann and her husband G.R Allen, Faye is survived by her four wonderful sons: T. Benton IV, Cameron, David, and Robert and his wife Pam; six grandsons: Drew and his wife Brittany, Ben, Parker, Phillip, Pierce and his wife Shelby, and Alex; her brothers-in-law Paul and David and his wife Diane, sister-in-law Kathy Kobos and her husband Don, and many cherished friends, neighbors and numerous nieces and nephews.
Faye’s vibrant spirit, love for family, and passion for life will be deeply missed. Her life will be celebrated at Wrightsville United Methodist Church on Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 11:00 am.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that friends and family consider a memorial contribution to Wrightsville United Methodist Church.
Please leave memories and condolences for Faye’s family here.
