Katharine Dupree

Katharine "Kathy" Frances Verney Donnelly Dupree, of Wilson, passed away peacefully at the age of 85 on November 11, 2022.

A Celebration of Life will be Monday, November 14, 2:00 PM, at First United Methodist Church followed by visitation.

She was born in Cheshire, England, to Geoffrey and Lucy Donnelly on March 3, 1937.  She was preceded in death by her parents, an infant brother John, sisters, Clare and Verney, and her husband, Paul. 

Katharine graduated with a pediatric nursing degree from the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street in London.   She eventually made her way to the United States in 1959 at age 22.  For over two years, she was a nanny to various families from Connecticut to Texas and she did a lot of traveling.  Upon her return to England aboard the steamship Saxonia, Katharine met Paul E. Dupree, Jr. of Pitt County.  They were married 8 months later, settled in Greenville and had two children.  After moving to Wilson in 1973, Katharine taught at First United Methodist Church Weekday School for 17 years.  She was active at FUMC as a circle leader and communion steward.

Katharine spent much of her time caring for others. It was her passion. She was one of the original volunteers for Meals on Wheels.  She regularly visited people in area hospitals, nursing homes and rest homes.  For two years she helped with the city school swim program and was herself an avid swimmer.  She loved to walk, play tennis and golf, read, and go to every sporting event she could.  No one loved sitting outside on a blazing hot day and watching youth or high school sports more than Katharine, especially events involving her two grandchildren.  She loved to travel and visited her daughter Beverly in Montana where she enjoyed hiking and looking for wildlife, especially bears!  But always the role of wife and mother was her greatest joy.

Surviving are her two children, Scott (Monica) of Cary, NC, and Beverly of Missoula, MT; and two grandchildren, Davis Dupree (her “Pride and Joy”) of Raleigh and Savannah Dupree (her “Bright and Shining Star”) of Knoxville, who knew her as Granny Lucy or more recently, “GL.”  She was very proud that her children and grandchildren went to UNC-Chapel Hill.

Katharine is also survived by her English and eastern North Carolina nieces and nephews – John, Caroline, Guy, Katharine, Richard, James, Charles, Kim and Connie, and her many cousins and countless dear friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church Weekday School, PO Box 1423, Wilson, NC 27894 or the local chapter of Meals on Wheels, 2101 Tarboro Street W Suite C, Wilson, NC 27893.

Arrangements by Wilson Memorial Service, 2811 Fieldstream Dr N, Wilson, NC 27896, www.wilsonmemorialservice.com, 252-237-7171.