Rosalyn Swindell Guirkins, 96, passed away on Wednesday, March 8, 2017. She was born on August 13, 1920 in Hyde County, NC, to Mabel and Theron Swindell. Rosalyn attended Greenville City Schools and graduated from Greenville High School in 1937. She went to work for Carolina Telephone Company and married Edwin Guirkins, of Bath, NC. They moved to New Bern in 1951, where they raised two daughters and were faithful members of Centenary United Methodist Church for over 60 years. Rosalyn continued to work for Carolina Telephone until her retirement in 1985. In 2008, Rosalyn moved to Cypress Glen Retirement Community in Greenville, where she resided until her death.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, J. Edwin Guirkins, her sisters; Lucille S. Jones, Julia S. Craft, and Frances S. Daly, as well as her brother Walter B. Swindell; and her son-in-law Mark Lewis Alligood.
She is survived by daughters; Elaine Guirkins Alligood of Marietta, GA, and Eleanor Guirkins Bateman of Poolesville, MD, grandchildren; Jason Alligood of Marietta, GA, Laura Bateman Reif of Olney, MD, and Trent Bateman of Jefferson, MD, as well as four great-grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held on Friday, March 31, 2017 at 11:00am, at Centenary United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the funeral. Burial will follow at Greenleaf Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, the family request memorial gifts to: Centenary United Methodist Church – Christian Education Fund, 309 New St. New Bern, NC 28560
Arrangement entrusted to Pollock-Best Funerals and Cremations.
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