Ruth Dianne Baxley

Ruth Dianne O'Quinn Baxley ("Dianne"), age 80, peacefully advanced from the Church Militant to the Church Triumphant on June 21st, 2025, with her family by her bedside. She was born May 30th, 1945, the daughter of E. B. and Ruth Holland O'Quinn. She was reared on a tobacco farm in Harnett County, North Carolina, where she learned by necessity the value and discipline of hard work.
Behind her sweet smile and kind heart, Dianne had a brilliant mind. She graduated as valedictorian of her high school class. She attended nursing school at Charlotte Memorial Hospital where she worked her way through school and graduated as valedictorian of her nursing class in 1966, becoming a Registered Nurse. She subsequently attended and graduated from the School of Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, obtaining a BS Degree in Nursing, all the while working at area hospitals as an RN to support herself.
Dianne met her husband of 57 years, Doug Baxley, at UNC. He was a member of the Air Force ROTC at UNC, and upon graduation had a military commitment to fulfill. Doug was assigned to Loring Air Force Base, Maine. Dianne sought work as a school nurse in the local school system. The school superintendent did not need a school nurse but instead hired her to teach the 8th grade which she taught for three years.
Upon completion of his military obligation, Doug entered law school at UNC and Dianne resumed her nursing career to support the expanded family which now included two daughters, Kelly and Kim.In 1975, on completion of law school and passing the bar, the family moved to Shallotte where Doug joined the law firm of Mason Anderson and Dianne was busy with two young daughters. In 1979, Doug opened his own law practice in Shallotte and Dianne became office manager and real estate paralegal. The firm later became Baxley and Trest in 1985, in which Dianne continued to work as real estate paralegal. In 2006, Doug formed a new partnership with son in law Ryan Smithwick, and daughter Kimberly Smithwick, under the name BaxleySmithwick PLLC, in which Dianne became office manager and real estate paralegal, and continued as such until shortly before her death.
Dianne had a deep and abiding faith in God but never wore her religion on her sleeve. She was an Elder in the Shallotte Presbyterian Church and was awarded Life Membership in the Presbyterian Women of the church. She is survived by her husband Doug and her daughter, Kimberly Baxley Smithwick (Ryan) and grandchildren, Audrey, Declan and Seamus Smithwick. She was preceded in death by her daughter Kelly Anne Baxley, and her parents. She is also survived by her sister, Patricia O'Quinn Hester, brother, John R. O'Quinn (Jane), niece Victoria Currin (David), nephew, Matthew O'Quinn (Abbie) and great nephews Connor and Carson.
We don't canonize saints in our church, but to her family and many of her friends, in all of the things which matter in life, Dianne was truly a saint.
Funeral Services will be conducted at Shallotte Presbyterian Church on June 25, 2025 at 11:00 A.M. The family will receive friends at the church before the service at 10:00 AM. Graveside services will be private at a later time.