Area Obituaries

1933 – 2021      Hilda Rae Wright Gore of Tabor City died Friday, June 11, surrounded by her family in Loris. She was 87.      Born Dec. 18, 1933 in Columbus County, she was the daughter of the late Eston Lee and Ila Bullock Wright.      She is survived by her husband, John Clifford Gore of the home;…

1957 – 2021      Linda Diane Benoche Watts of Tabor City died Tuesday, June 1, in her home. She was 63.      Born Oct. 25, 1957 in Newport New, Virginia, she was the daughter of the late John “Billy” William and Esther Haywood Benoche and the widow of Roger Dale Watts.      She is survived by her son,…

1955 – 2021      Bruce-Michael William Dutko of Conway passed away on Thursday, May 27, at his home. He was 65.      Born Oct. 22, 1955 in Good Sam, New York, he was the son of the late John Dutko and the late Margaret Harold Dutko. Mr. Dutko worked in the parts department of Ruscon Truck Company,…

1957 – 2021      Robert “Bobby” Wade Parks of Conway passed away on Sunday, May 30, at his home. He was 63.      Born July 19, 1957 in Loris, he was the son of Barbara Jean Holt Brecht and the late Fields Jackson Parks, Sr.      Mr. Parks was the co-owner of Parks Auto Brokers with his brother…

1939 – 2021      Woodrow “Jack” Franklin Penny of the Williams Township Community, Whiteville, died Saturday, May 29, in Lower Cape Fear Hospice Center in Wilmington. He was 81.      Jack was born Oct. 23, 1939 in Columbus County. He was the son of the late Barry Andrew Penny and Thelma Creech Penny Parker.      He is survived…

1960 – 2021      Alice Faye Small of Loris passed away on Thursday, May 27, at McLeod Loris hospital. She was 61.      Born on May 11, 1960 in Marion, SC, she was the daughter of the late William McDuffy Small and the late Bessie Earlean Hilbourn Small.      Survivors include her husband of 35 years, Ervin Powers;…

1937 – 2021      Lila Mae Norris of Tabor City died Monday, May 17, in McLeod Loris hospital, Loris. She was 83.      Born May 24, 1937 in Columbus County, she was the daughter of the late Grantham and Naomi Bryant Allen and the widow of William Isaac Norris, Sr.      She is survived by three sons, William…

1935 – 2021      Alfredia Ward Ikner of Whiteville died Monday, May 17, in Columbus Regional Healthcare, Whiteville. She was 86.      Born in Columbus County, she was the daughter of the late Leamon George Ikner and Rosettie Williams Ikner.      She is survived by one daughter, Shelvey Jean Long of Clarendon; a son, Terrance Alverd Ward of…

1954 – 2021      Robert Chester Hipp of Loris, died Sunday, May 16, at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center in Myrtle Beach after a lengthy hospitalization. He was 67.      Chester was a life-long resident of Loris and a devoted member of the Loris First United Methodist Church, where he served as President of the United Methodist…

1965 – 2021      Kipling “Kip” Godwin of Tabor City went to be with the Lord on Thursday, May 13, at McLeod Loris hospital. He was 56.      Born Jan. 5, 1965 in Whiteville, he was the son of the late David Eliga Godwin and the late Walneta Caulder Godwin.      Kip graduated from NC State and went…