Doris Allen Litchfield

She came from a long line of strong women and was proud to be a descendant of abolitionist Frances Hurley, whose brave pre-Civil War stand against slavery has been cited in Victoria Bynum's book Unruly Women.

Doris was born at Mary Elizabeth Hospital in Raleigh on December 14, 1931. Her parents, now deceased, were Ashley and Viola Hurley Allen of Smithfield, NC. She grew up in Hamlet, Rocky Mount, and Sanford and graduated from Smithfield High School in 1950. As president of her class, she kept in touch with its members and organized reunions for over sixty years.

As a member of Meredith College's Class of 1954, Doris earned a degree in Religion and was active in many campus organizations. Although she was a lifetime Methodist, she was elected president of Meredith's Baptist Student Union; in her senior year Doris was selected for membership in the Silver Shield Society.

Her first full-time employment was as Director of Christian Education at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Goldsboro. In 1955 she met Harry Bonner Litchfield of Aurora; they were married at Centenary UMC in Smithfield on July 12, 1956. Harry and Doris lived in Goldsboro, Kinston and Raleigh before he became a vice-president of First Citizens Bank in Lincolnton, a town where Harry Bonner Litchfield, Jr., and his sister Laura made the family complete. Harry was elected a County Commissioner for Lincoln County; Doris became a kindergarten teacher and was very involved with church and civic activities. The family spent eleven happy years in Lincolnton.

In 1974, Harry accepted a position as vice-president of Peoples Bank in Edenton, where the family restored a historic residence and quickly became a part of their new community. In 1976, however, Harry Litchfield died of pancreatic cancer at age forty-six. Doris and her children faced a challenging future, and she began a new career as a public-school teacher in Chowan County.

In 1980, Doris was invited to become Director of Christian Education for Edenton Street UMC in Raleigh, a position she filled with enthusiasm and great dedication for five years. She later became Activities Director at Springmoor Retirement Community, where she initiated many innovative ideas, some of which are still being used. As Director of Alumnae Affairs at Meredith College she spent five active years planning events and crisscrossing the state to keep in touch with Meredith alums.

Throughout her life Doris was extremely loyal to her church, her family, and her many friends. Her dedication to Methodism, and especially to Edenton Street UMC, never wavered. In addition to being a loving parent to Bonner and Laura, she was "big sister' to her siblings. At the time of her death she was proud to be the matriarch of twenty Hurley and Allen first cousins.

As a result of her involvement in many people-oriented professions, as well as because she was an outgoing, loving woman, Doris maintained friendships with an unusually large number of acquaintances.

She enjoyed travel, reading, planning events, and talking with everyone she encountered along life's way. Over the years she shared her home with a number of young people who were students in local colleges.

Doris is survived by her son, Harry B. Litchfield, Jr. and his wife Meg of Concord; by her daughter Laura Van Meter and her husband Rev. Allan Van Meter of Thomasville; and by her two grandchildren, Elizabeth and Ashley Van Meter of Thomasville. She is also survived by her sister Julia A. McCullers of Raleigh and her brother John Ashley Allen of Brevard.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 24th at 11:00 am, in the auditorium of Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society; https://www.cancer.org/about-us/local/north-carolina.html

Service arrangements provided by Brown-Wynne, 300 Saint Mary's St., Raleigh.