Betty Motes

Betty Ward Motes, age 97, passed away peacefully while at the Crystal Coast Hospice House Tuesday October 7, 2025, to continue her journey home to heaven. She was a loving wife and wonderful mother.

She was born in Harlowe, N.C. to the late Rufus Wiliam Ward and Bessie Taylor Ward. She lived in Harlowe all her life. Betty graduated from Beaufort High School on a Friday in 1945 at the age of 16 and went to work on the following Monday at MCAS Cherry Point, NC as a file clerk making $1440 a year. While at MCAS Cherry Point she became a manager for more than 25 years. When she retired, she was a Supervisor General Supply Specialist over the receiving Division, Materials Department, Supply Directorate. When she was promoted to that position, she “broke the glass ceiling” for advancement of women at the Directorate. She was the first woman to hold the Division Supervisory Department position. She was accepted into the Transportation National Professional Accreditation Inc., and she was the only woman and only federal employee to receive that honor up to that time. She received the National Defense Transportation Association Award of Excellence for planning the first operational deployment of the AV-8A Harrier Squadron and the first containerized shipment of a squadron out of Cherry Point to the Port at Morehead City for further shipment overseas. She set up the first upward mobility position for women in the Supply Directorate. All during her career, she was a strong advocate for the rights and advancement of women. She represented women in the works force when they denied deserved promotions. Her favorite motto was “When One Woman Takes a Step Forward, She Opens The Door For Others”. She was proud to have been one of those that took that step. While at Cherry Point her career spanned over 31 years. After retiring from Cherry Point she started her own company as a consultant for commercial trucking companies, locating lost government freight.

She was a member of the Carteret County Extension and Community Association (CCECA) for 75 years where she served as president of several different clubs. She was Nutrition Leader for the county and worked with the N.C. State University Seafood Laboratory Kitchen volunteers where the group met monthly to test new ways of handling, storing, and processing seafood caught off our N.C. Coast. Wisdom from this group was published in the “Mariner’s 30 Years of Fresh Seafood Ideas “. She received the Floy Garner’s Award which was presented to CCECA members who demonstrated leadership and exemplary community service. She held leadership roles in the county district and at state levels.

She was a member of the Harlowe United Methodist Church all her life where she taught Adult Sunday School Class. She was a member of the Daughters Of The American Revolution (DAR). Her Great Grandfather from generations back was Enock Ward Jr. who was a Ship Captain during the American Revolutionary War and guarded the barrier islands along the Carteret County Coast.

When not participating in her career and club activities Betty enjoyed summer weekends and holidays at her and her husband’s beach house on Harker’s Island. She loved fishing and crabbing around the marshes in Back Sound with her boys and husband and then cooking and eating her catch. A big pot of stewed hard crabs was her favorite as well as just sitting on her front porch mornings watching the fishing boats go by. In earlier days, hearing the menhaden boats out on the waters in front of the house with the men singing as they would haul their nets in. When there, most afternoons one of her favorite things to do around 5:00 was to feed the seagulls and they would wait for her it seemed every afternoon at that time for the treats she would throw to them.

She was proud of her close united family, especially her and her husband’s three sons Gervase (who later became her daughter Ginger), Steven, and Bryan who are all mechanical engineers. She and her husband William James Motes Jr, (Bill) were married for 72 years before his passing on September 16, 2020.

She is survived by her daughter Ginger Motes and son Bryan Motes and wife Pam Welch, five grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren and her brother Dalton Ward and wife Mary Ellen.

She is preceded in death by her parents Rufus and Bessie Ward, husband William James Motes Jr, son Steven Motes, daughters-in-law Pat Motes, Teresa Motes and Sonya Motes

A visitation will be held at Noe-Brooks Funeral Home from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, October 16th. Funeral Services will be held at the Harlowe Methodist Church on Friday, October, 17th at 11:00 AM. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Family will receive friends an hour prior to the service at the church. 

Flowers are welcome but in lieu of flowers a contribution to the Harlowe United Methodist Church Cemetery Fund c/o Jim Shady, 126 Shell Landing, Beaufort, NC 28516 would be appreciated.

Condolences and life tributes may be sent to the family at www.noebrooks.net.

Arrangements by Noe-Brooks Funeral Home, Morehead City, NC.