Rita Dudley Harris

Rita Dudley Harris, 98, of Marshallberg, passed away on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, at Crystal Bluffs Rehabilitation and Health Care Center.

Her funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, August 8, at Munden Funeral Home, with Rev. Dennis Goodwin officiating. The family will receive friends from an hour prior to the service. She will be laid to rest privately at Victoria Cemetery in Marshallberg. For those unable to attend, the service can be viewed through her obituary page on Munden Funeral Home’s website. The service will remain on the Funeral Home website for 90 days.          (See link below for the Service Bulletin including the Order of Service.)

Rita was born on October 2, 1923, to the late Luther and Stella Dudley of Lennoxville, North Carolina. She was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Marshallberg and the Marshallberg Garden Club. In addition to gardening and a love of pottery; in her retirement years Rita also loved to travel. She and her close friend, the late Cecilia Harris, accomplished their goal of travelling around the world including Hawaii, Russia, China, Egypt, India and Australia.

Her career in business administration spanned 25 years at Carteret Community College where she earned her Associate Degree in Business Administration. Even with her busy career at the college, as well as Harris Boat Works, Rita was an accomplished homemaker, beloved wife, loving mother and proud grandmother.

She is survived by her son, Myron Gray Harris Jr. of Marshallberg and her daughter, Rita Carol Harris Freshwater of Morehead City. In addition, she is survived by her grandchildren, David “Dave” Thomas Willis II (Hope) and Myron Gray Harris III (Shanon), all of Morehead City, Lisa Harris Yarborough (Jimmy) and Kelly Ard Smith (Jeff), all of Durham, Samuel Fredrick Harris of Swansboro, Heather Leigh Harris of Smyrna, Elizabeth “Beth” Freshwater Smith (Richard) of Wilson, Sara Freshwater Duncan (Jim) and David Wilson Freshwater (Kim), all of Wilmington;  13 great-grandchildren, Morgan Carol Willis, Michael Wayne Locklear, Jessica Leigh Harris, James Elbert Yarborough Jr., Kathryn Reade Yarborough, Grace Miller Ard, Jerry Fore Ard III, Cole Fredrick Harris, Jessica Jolie Bryson, Ali Duncan Grimes,  Lauren Elizabeth Duncan, Eliza Darden Smith, and Richard Thorp Smith IV; great-great-grandson, Davis Marshall Locklear; niece and nephews, Elmer Dudley Jr., Alton Dudley, Gary Dudley, Richard Dudley, and Kathie Crumbacker.

In addition to her parents, she was pre-deceased by her husband of 65 years, Myron Gray Harris; grandson, Robert Hilton Gaskill Jr.; brother, Elmer Dudley; sister, Fannie Taylor; and son-in-law, Dr. David Freshwater.

As an expression of sympathy, flowers are welcome or memorial donations may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 66, Marshallberg, NC 28553.

Family and friends are welcome to submit online condolences at www.mundenfuneralhome.net

Arrangements by Munden Funeral Home & Crematory in Morehead City, NC.