Dorothy P. Newsome

Published 1:57 pm Tuesday, January 14, 2025

GREENVILLE – At 96 years young, Dorothy P. (Dot) Newsome passed away Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, surrounded by her daughters.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, at First Baptist Church, Ahoskie, after which the family will receive friends in the Fellowship Hall. Private interment will be at a later date.

Dot was born March 17, 1928, in Hurdle Mills, NC, the daughter of Phronia W. and Guy W. Phelps.

After high school, Dot attended King’s Business College in Raleigh and met the love of her life, Robert T. (Bob) Newsome of Ahoskie, NC. They married the following year and moved to Greensboro, NC.

There, Dot began her career at the Internal Revenue Service. She was introduced to public accounting, a career she pursued successfully for 70 years. The couple moved to Ahoskie, where she worked for Riddick & Urquhart, CPA, and Edwards & Edwards, CPA. She also served as the office manager for Farmer’s Tobacco Warehouse and Basnight’s Tobacco Warehouse.

Dot found a warm welcome at First Baptist Church in Ahoskie, where generations of Newsomes had served. She was active in the Woman’s Missionary Union, Finance Committee, Flower Committee, Sunday School and in other worthwhile endeavors of the church.

Importantly, she and Bob reared their two daughters in the church, volunteering in numerous ways to support the church’s ministry.

Dot joined the Ahoskie Woman’s Club, serving for more than 65 years, including 30 as treasurer. She researched, wrote and published a history of the club. In recognition of her efforts, she was named Woman of the Year twice and was awarded a lifetime membership in the NC Federation of Woman’s Clubs.

Dot was one of the first women to join Ahoskie Kiwanis Club. She and Bob enjoyed volunteering together for the club’s many service projects.

Dot and Bob were married for 72 years when he died in 2020 at age 96. Her life was not the same without him. In 2021, she moved to independent living at Fountains of the Albemarle in Tarboro, where she reconnected with dear Ahoskie friends and made new ones.

In addition to her parents and Bob, Dot was preceded in death by her brothers, Malcolm Phelps and Larry Phelps and her son-in-law, James A. (Jimmy) Nelson, Jr.

Survivors include their daughters, Beth N. Nelson of Greenville and Sandra N. Sheckells of Apex; grandchildren, Jay Nelson, Suzanne Phelps Nelson Jones (Zach), McKenna Nelson, and Taylor, Tanner and Tripp Sheckells; and three great granddaughters, Addison, Aubriella and Ellianna.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to First Baptist Church, Ahoskie, PO Box 649, Ahoskie, NC 27858 or Ahoskie Woman’s Club, c/o Pat Byrd, 921 W Alton St., Ahoskie, NC 27910 or online by visiting tmcfunding.com/search fund, type- Dot Newsome.

The family would like to thank Dot’s beloved physician, Dr. Charles Sawyer; her longtime housekeeper, Loretta Hardy; and her devoted caregivers, Yvonne Johnson, Gwen Pettaway, Robin Staton and Sally Chance.

Online condolences can be made at www.garrettsykesfs.com. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Garrett-Sykes Funeral Service – Ahoskie Chapel, Ahoskie, NC.