Esther Hayes Smith Gatlin

Published 5:14 pm Saturday, November 15, 2014

Esther Hayes Smith Gatlin

June 26, 1937 – Nov. 13, 2014

Farmville — Esther Hayes Smith Gatlin, formerly of New Bern, died on Wednesday, November 13, 2014

Esther was born June 26, 1937, in Belhaven, to the late James Edward and Myrtle Dunn Hayes. She graduated from John A. Wilkinson High School in Belhaven.  She married William Alva Smith of Belhaven who died in 1982. They had four children. In 1986, she married Louis Herman Gatlin formerly of Miami, Fla. He died May 2002. In the past she was secretary for Dr. William Hand; secretary for Craven Co. Extension Service; secretary for First Baptist Church of which she was a member. She sang in the Sanctuary Choir many years; member of the Jane Marshall Jenkins Sunday School Class and played the piano for the church’s Rest Home Ministry. She loved her Lord, her family, her music and her flowers.

Surviving are her son, William Edward Smith and wife, Pam of Weaverville, N.C.; daughter, Kimberly S. Reynolds and husband, Daniel of Farmville; son, Eric John Smith and wife, Allyson of Pikeville; son, Kenneth Lee Smith of Summerville, S.C.; sister, Dolores H. Morgan and Husband, J. C. of Bath; three grandsons, Andrew Reynolds and wife Lauren of Farmville, Matthew Reynolds of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Nixon Smith of Charleston, S.C.; numerous nieces and nephews; two stepsons and wives, Thomas and DeeAnne Gatlin of Smithfield and Mark and Katherine Gatlin of New Bern; and six step-grandchildren, Cameron, Regan, Morgan, Mary Katherine, Hannah, and Patrick Gatlin.

Funeral will be 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, at First Baptist Church with Dr. Richard Seagle and Dr. Tom Denton officiating. Burial will be at New Bern Memorial Cemetery. The family will receive friends in the church sanctuary from 12:45 p.m. until 2:15 p.m., just prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to First Baptist Church Memorial Garden or Sanctuary Choir, P. O. Box 1463, New Bern, NC  28563 or Community Home Care & Hospice, 150 E. Arlington Blvd., Suite F, Greenville, NC  27834.

Online condolences may be directed to www.pollockbest.com. Arrangements by Pollock-Best Funerals & Cremations.