Edith Howard McCormick Brothers

Edith Howard McCormick Brothers, 93, died peacefully at Hospice House on Wednesday, June 9, 2010 after years of declining health. The youngest child of Hugh Holmes and Edith Howard Allen McCormick of Charles Town, West Virginia, she decided at an early age to become a nurse and received her RN degree from Baltimore’s Union Memorial Hospital in 1939. She met and married J. Grayson Brothers at Duke Hospital, Durham in 1942 and they served in England during World War II, he as a hospital administrator and she as a U.S Army nurse. In 1953 they moved to Morganton and brought up three children, David, Susan, and Tom while Grayson was the administrator of Grace Hospital for 25 years.Edith was down-to-earth, spunky, funny, and in her younger years, full of energy. She overcame great tragedy in her life but believed in giving back to her community: as a Pink Lady at Grace Hospital, the Morganton Public Library, the American Red Cross, and the soup kitchen. She served on the Deerfield Board, the Council on Aging, and the Morganton Recreation Board. She welcomed many to Morganton as the Welcome Wagon Hostess and served as a receptionist at Dr. Bill Kirksey’s office. As a staunch Episcopalian, she was a member of the Altar Guild, the Episcopal Church Women, and the vestry. Edith was a founding member of Mountain House, later known as Grace Ridge and served on its first board. She also was one of the founders of Burke Hospice and Palliative Care where she served on its first board and for many, many years as a volunteer. Hospice was her passion.Edith traveled extensively throughout the world and gained from these experiences a global point of view and the need to live simply. As a member of the Friendship Force she loved to host people from other countries and visit theirs.Edith enjoyed hiking and bird watching. Many will remember her as a very brisk walker and would see her and Mary Adair Phifer flying down the streets of Morganton. Even in her early eighties she participated in the Senior Games. She was an avid reader and when she lost her sight to macular degeneration, she loved books on tape.She is predeceased by her parents, two brothers, her husband and two sons. She has one surviving daughter and her husband, six grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

Edith was a woman of faith, character, and vision. She possessed a unique personality and was loved by many. She will be sorely missed.The funeral will be held at Grace Episcopal Church on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. followed by her interment in the Memorial Garden, and a reception in the parish hall. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to Burke Hospice and Palliative Care, 1721 Enon Rd., Valdese, NC 28690 or to Grace Episcopal Church, 303 S. King St., Morganton, NC 28655. Sossoman Funeral Home is assisting the family.Her family would like to thank the staffs of Grace Ridge, Burke Hospice, her friends, and church for their love and care.