Iris Goodwin

ROSEBORO — Iris Fisher Goodwin died at home on Sunday afternoon, June 19, 2016, after a brief illness. She was born in Roseboro on Christmas Eve, 1924, to Byron Lenon and Janie Herring Fisher.

Her primary and secondary education occurred at Pineland College, in Salemburg. After high school she attended Greensboro College for two years and then graduated in 1944 with a BA in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She began her teaching career in Sanford, N.C., but soon returned to Sampson County, to teach at Salemburg High School. In 1949 she married William Junius Goodwin "Bill". She then put her teaching career on hold to devote herself to her family. As she followed her husband's career, she lived in various places in the Southeast, first in Winter Haven and Jacksonville, Fla., and then in Atlanta. When the family moved to Richland, Ga., for a year, she returned to teaching full time. The family then settled in Savannah, Ga. for 20 years. Throughout the time she was in Savannah, she taught Social Studies, first at Myers Jr High and later at Bartlett Jr High. During this period she added to her educational credentials with an MA in Political Science from the University of Georgia.

In 1984, in retirement, she and her husband repatriated themselves to North Carolina. Since then she has been actively involved in the local community and church. She was a longstanding member and many times an officer of the Athenia Lanier Society. In fact, she hosted the monthly meeting a few weeks prior to her death. She was a member of Roseboro United Methodist Church where she followed in her mother's footsteps to serve for many years as Church Historian. She headed the Church Sesquicentennial Committee and in this capacity developed a variety of programs and events lasting over an 18-month period. She was a 60-year member of the Roseboro Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star #229 and at the time of her death a member of the Newton Grove Chapter #267. She was a member of the Roseboro Woman's Club where she was Woman of the Year in 1991.

She was preceded in death by her husband and by her son-in-law, Kevin Kresock. She is survived by two daughters, Iris Jane Goodwin (Kresock) of Knoxville, Tenn., and Billie Jean Goodwin of Dunwoody, Ga., along with several nieces and nephews.

Her funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, June 24, at Roseboro United Methodist Church, 300 N. Broad Street, Roseboro. Burial will follow at Roseboro Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, June 23, at Butler Funeral Home, 401 W. Roseboro Street, Roseboro.

The family welcomes a contribution in her memory to any Church or charity.

Arrangements are by Butler Funeral Home of Roseboro.