Eve Williamson

Eve Ragland Williamson

April 3, 1937 - February 11, 2016

Raleigh

Eve Ragland Williamson died on Thursday, February 11th. She was the daughter of Helen Browning Ragland and George Gilliam Ragland. Her beloved grandfather was Benjamin Howard Browning and her favorite aunt was Nora Browning Watkins. Her first husband was Robert Collins Blades. She is survived by her three children and their spouses, William Benjamin Blades IV and his wife Marybeth, Helen Blades Dixon and her husband Jay, and Robert Collins Blades, Jr. and his wife Kelly. Her seven grandchildren are Eve Browning Dixon, Benjamin Howard Browning Dixon, William Benjamin Blades V, Robert Kiley Blades, James Munger Blades, Harper Collins Blades, and Helen Hunter Blades. She is also survived by her sister and brother-in-law Nora and Wallace Witmer, their children, Nora Miller, Wallace Witmer, Julie Smith, Eve Johnson and Millie Witmer and by her stepfather, Roger Marshall. She was predeceased by her second husband Benjamin Robert Williamson and step son Benjamin Robert Williamson, Jr. She is survived by her step children Blanche Williamson and Julian Williamson.

Eve grew up in Littleton, North Carolina and graduated from high school there as valedictorian. She received a scholarship to Duke University and also studied at UNC-Chapel Hill. She served on local and state boards and commissions and received appointments from Governors Scott, Holshouser, Hunt and Martin. In her career as Executive Director of the Museum of History Associates, she expanded membership ten-fold and took NC history across the state to children and adults. Her fundraising efforts were instrumental to the building of the museum's new state of the art location next to the state capitol in Raleigh. She was awarded the distinguished state award for meritorious contributions to the mental health of children by the NC Council of Child Psychiatry. In 1997 she received the Distinguished Women of NC Award for the Arts. She was awarded the Order of the Longleaf Pine by Governor Holshouser.

In addition to her great love for her family, she loved flowers, gardening, writing, antiques, Figure 8 Island, bridge, and tennis- where she earned several tennis rankings on the state level.

Private graveside service will be held in Littleton, NC at Sunset Hill Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may to be made to her childhood church: Littleton United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 26, Littleton, NC 27850.

The family welcomes friends in her home from 4:00-6:00 PM on Sunday, February 14th.