Dora Tyson

Dora (Dink) Tyson was born on December 5, 1927 and passed away peacefully at her home on February 26, 2024 at the age of 96.
Dink was a native of Pitt County and oldest child of the late Lonnie and Effie Hathaway. Moving many times during her childhood and attending four separate high schools from New Jersey, Virginia and North Carolina, she graduated from Greenville High School in 1946. Dink was most proud of achieving all A's throughout high school in spite of her constant moves and was quick to point it out to her children! She worked as a bookkeeper for Taft Furniture and was a diehard Greenville Greenies Baseball Fan. She met a young Marine from Cherry Point on a blind date at an East Carolina Teachers College dance. Upon his transfer to California, she traveled to Chicago and boarded the Super Chief Train bound for California to get married. After their marriage at San Juan Capistrano in 1949, they bought their first home in Southern California. With the advent of The Korea War, her husband deployed and, with only having her driver's license for two weeks, drove cross country along the famous Route 66 to Greenville alone armed with a 1949 Plymouth Club Coupe and only a Texaco Road Map. She was proud that she had one flat tire and only hit one car on that trip! That adventuresome spirit led her to many more travels over the years with her favorite, traveling to Guadalcanal with her husband for the 50th Anniversary of the Guadalcanal Campaign Celebration. Dink enjoyed cruising to Alaska, The Caribbean and New England as long as she had access to the casino! Dink especially enjoyed cruising with her youngest grandson! She enjoyed living in California, Hawaii, Virginia, Georgia, New Jersey and back home to North Carolina with her family.
Dink maintained many friendships throughout the country for many years. She was proud to be (The Last) of her lifelong friends, moving on to forge new friendships with a (younger generation).
Dink will be missed by her Bridge Girls, Bingo Girls and Guys and all those who cherished her wit, sharp tongue and spunk!
Dink's husband of 56 years, William D Tyson, MSGT USMC (RET), the love of her life and her (Rock) predeceased her in 2005. Additionally, Dink was predeceased by her daughter Karen Tyson and a sister Lucille Hathaway Hines.
She is survived by her son, Craig Tyson and wife Pat Swindell Tyson, daughter, Kathy Tyson Harrison and husband Billy, and son Barry Tyson and wife Cora; sisters, Joe Ann Hathaway O'Briant and Judy Hathaway Lockamy and husband, Harold. (Dink) is survived by seven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. She is also survived by (special friends) Cora Hart Smith and husband, Colonel Dawson Smith that she enjoyed Friday morning phone calls (after Perry Mason) for over ten years.
We would like to extend a special thanks to caregivers Shay Williams of SilverCare and Chastity Dupree for their unwavering and personal care of Mom.
Dink did not like farewells, only hellos. Per her wishes there will be no service. A Celebration of Her Life will be held at a later date. She will be laid to rest with her husband at the Quantico National Cemetery, Quantico, VA.
In lieu of flowers, please make Memorial Contributions to St. James United Methodist Church, Oakmont Baptist Church where in her final years she enjoyed Sunday morning television services, The Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, Virginia, The American Legion and the VFW, both in Greenville, NC.