Lucy Luffman Dearing

CHAPELHILL, N.C. — Lucy Luffman Dearing, cherished wife, sister, mother andgrandmother died July 5, 2010 after a long illness at Duke Hospice inHillsborough.  She was born May 28, 1934 to Winfrey andButriceLuffman of State Road, N.C., the youngest of three sisters. 

Fromthe beginning, Lucy was always a champion for anyone that needed helpand was the first to stand up for anyone treated badly, even inelementary school.  She could often be found on Sundays, stilldressed in her Sunday School clothes, climbing her father’s cherrytrees to eat the cherries before they were picked.  Sheinheritedfrom her father a sense of humor that enabled her to laugh in even thehardest situations. 

Sheendured two years at Mars Hill College, and then was able to transferto UNC-Chapel Hill, where she met her “living, breathing doll,” JohnProctor Dearing.  She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from UNC with aB.A. in psychology, and married John on June 1, 1957.  LucyandJohn became teachers, first in West Yadkin, N.C., and then, in awondrous twist of fate, they moved to Ocracoke to teach at the OcracokeSchool. 

Theyboth fell in love with the island and its people, and even after movingto Massachusetts to teach at the Stockbridge School, they returned totheir home, the Dia Bando Cottage, at every opportunity.  LucyandJohn loved to sail together on the Pamlico Sound for hours and werewell known to local fishermen and park rangers.  She ended herteaching career at the Phelps School in Malvern, Pa., and then she andJohn retired in 1996 and returned to Ocracoke. 

Theyremained there until, due to declining health, they moved back toChapel Hill, where they first met.  She was grateful to havemoretime to get to know and love her granddaughter.  She was theheartof her family.  Her greatest teaching was teaching her husbandandchildren about love.  In a family that loves music, she wasthesteady alto that kept us together. 

Sheis survived by her sisters, Winnie Luffman and Jean Humber; herbrother-in-law John Humber; her daughters, Lori Sandridge, RachelPakenham, and Briana Dearing; her sons-in-law Benji Sandridge, JimPakenham, and Tim Benton; her granddaughter, Aissa Dearing-Benton, andher most beloved husband John. 

Shekept her sense of humor to the last, telling her family shortly beforeshe died, the punchline to an old family joke, “Well, we’ve always beena morose bunch.”