Obituary of Margaret Dale Herndon Blake

Margaret Dale (Herndon) Blake, 91, of Hampstead, formerly of Southern Pines, died at home on Wednesday, May 24, surrounded by family after a brief illness. She was born in 1926 in Bethel, N.C. She was the daughter of John and Lena Mae Herndon. Her mother was the postmistress of Black Creek, N.C., where her father was the town barber and owned a general store. Margaret was raised in Newport News, V.A. In 1943, when she was 17, she joined the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps, which Congress created to help stem the nationwide shortage of nurses during World War II. She graduated from Riverside Hospital in Newport News in 1946. She worked as a registered nurse for over 40 years at Montgomery Memorial Hospital in Troy, N.C., and Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, N.C. Besides her family, nursing was the most important thing in Margaret's life. She was always willing to teach and share her knowledge, compassion, and caring. She influenced many others to pursue a career in the field. Margaret was a night owl, an enthusiastic reader, and an unforgiving Scrabble player. She leaves her five children, Dale (Blake) Falconer and her husband, Thomas, of Hampstead; John R. of Aberdeen; M. Travis and his wife, Bonnie (Taylor), of Chapel Hill; Joseph Dee of Goldsboro; and David A. and his wife, Christine (Morgan), of Chapel Hill. She had six grandchildren, Christopher, Matthew, Paul, Kathryn, David, and Sarah; and five great-grandchildren, Eva, Harper, Mackenzie, Kayla, and Erin. She was predeceased by her husband, Abedee Blake, in 1980, and her sister, Elizabeth (Scott), of Chapel Hill in 2016. A graveside service will be held Monday, May 29, at 2 p.m. at Mount Gilead Baptist Church in Pittsboro. A reception will follow. There are no calling hours. Funeral arrangements are by Walker's Funeral Home of Chapel Hill. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be sent to the Retired Nurses of Moore County Book Fund at Sandhills Community College, 3395 Airport Rd, Pinehurst, NC 28374, or Lower Cape Fear Hospice, 1414 Physicians Dr, Wilmington, NC 28401.