Sarah Ann Pate Styron

Sarah Ann Pate Styron, 91, of Davis, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at Morning Pointe Assisted Living in Nashville, Tennessee.

A service to honor Sarah’s life will be at 11:00 a.m., on Monday, June 17, 2024, at the Davis Original Free Will Baptist Church, 472 Hwy 70, Davis, NC 28524. 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.

Sarah was born on July 1, 1932, in New Bern, to the late Larry Benjamin and Evelyn “Lucille” McLawhorn Pate, Sr. of New Bern, NC. She grew up outside of New Bern in the farming community of Spring Garden.  If you ever talked to her about her home place, she would undoubtedly make sure you knew it was her favorite place to be.  She was a member of the Spring Garden First Baptist Church throughout her childhood and later on it was where she would get married.  She graduated from Jasper High School where she and her sister, Jean, played basketball.   Sarah’s lifelong love for playing, as well as, watching basketball, especially NC State basketball, never waned.  She watched the ACC and NCAA Tournaments every year.

She went on to attend Meredith College in Raleigh and graduated with a degree in Sociology.  Her first job was with the Carteret County Social Services Department in Beaufort, NC.  This was where a good friend and co-worker, Ms Andra Pond of Beaufort, introduced her to her future husband, Reginald “Reg” Styron.  Sarah and Reg were married on June 16, 1956, and they settled in Davis, where they raised their two daughters. 

Miss Sarah, as she was known, was an active member in the Davis Original Free Will Baptist Church where she was a Sunday School teacher, and the church treasurer for over 40 years.

Sarah loved the simple things, like growing vegetables in the family garden every year and sharing them with her neighbors.

A great source of happiness throughout her life, was her love of country music.  Sarah and her husband were blessed and proud to have their daughter, Catherine, become a prominent musician and live and work in Nashville, TN.  They took several trips each year to visit Catherine and to see her playing with well-known country music stars, like Reba McEntire, or performing at the Grand Ole Opry. 

Sarah’s older daughter Sarah Ann, gave her the gift of becoming a grandmother to her son, Chris.  Throughout his childhood Chris loved spending time in Davis with his Mammoo, as he called her, and his Pop-pop.  Later she was proud to become a great-grandmother to Chris’s daughter, Carolina.  Sarah loved spending time with Carolina and she loved her Mammoo very much. 

Sarah also stayed involved with her nieces and nephews as they grew up.  She always wanted the children in the family to have her support.

Those remaining to cherish her memory are her daughters, Sarah Ann Styron Hepler of Newport, NC and Catherine Dail Styron Marx (Kerry) of Nolensville, TN. Grandson, Christopher Styron Hepler and great-granddaughter, Carolina Sweet Hepler, both of Newport, NC. Sister-in-law, Violet S. Pate, aunt, Rebecca Ann Pate McLawhorn, and cousin, Nicholas Leon “Nick” McLawhorn III, all of New Bern, NC, and cousin, Betty Ann Bedsworth of Greenville, NC.  Nieces and nephews, Betty W. Davis of Davis, NC, James Stephen “Steve” Woolard, Jr. (Joanne), Larry “Pate” Woolard (Tina), Ellen Lucille Pate Corey (Scott), Larry Benjamin “Ben” Pate, III (Miranda), all of New Bern, NC, and Janet Ruth Pate Mannel (Mike) of Saluda, SC. Great nieces and nephews, Charles Dawson “Chuck” Mason, Jr. (Gay), Leslie “Paul” Mason (Jeff), all of Davis, NC, and Angela Carroll Davis of Beaufort, NC, Tyler Scott Corey (Katelyn) of New Bern, NC, Cameron Pate Corey (Brittany) of Vanceboro, NC, James “Stephen” Woolard III, Austin Pate Woolard, Emma Jean Pate, and Grace Olivia Pate, all of New Bern, NC, and Petra Caroline Mannel of Saluda, SC. Great-great nieces and nephews, Chandler Dawson Mason, Saylor Caroline Mason, both of Davis, NC, Carter James Corey of New Bern, NC, and Clara Lucille Corey of Vanceboro, NC. And special neighbors and friends that always provided good food and conversation, Ms. Hazel Williams, Ms. Ruby Styron, and Ms. Audrey Salter of Davis.

In addition to her parents, Sarah was preceded in death by her husband, Reginald Thomas Styron; sister, Sylvia “Jean” Pate Woolard (Steve); brother, Larry Benjamin “L.B.”  Pate, Jr.; sister-in-law, Alma Lois Styron Davis (Percy); uncle, N. L. “Leon” McLawhorn, Jr.; cousin, Harvey Dail McLawhorn; niece and nephew, William Carroll Davis and Barbara Ann Davis Mason (Charles D.); and her favorite grandmother, Lela Dail McLawhorn of New Bern.

As an expression of sympathy, flowers are welcome or memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice.

Family and friends are welcome to submit online condolences.

Arrangements by Woodbine Funeral Home in Nolensville, TN and Munden Funeral Home & Crematory in Morehead City, NC.