Barbara Sanderford McEntire

Barbara, daughter of Everett and Mildred Butler Sanderford, grew up in what was the small town of Cary, North Carolina, walking up the hill on Dry Avenue every day with her two sisters to the school on the corner of Academy Drive. Barbara earned her degree from the Women’s College of UNC and while teaching at Rockingham High School met her husband, Harold. After moving with Harold, and twin sons in a large circle from North Carolina to Louisiana to Wisconsin to Illinois, she made her way back to Cary after the death of her husband in 1989. She carved out a life for herself there again, as she had in every place she lived, as a faithful daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, friend, educator, church member, and gardener. When she made the hard decision to move from Cary again so she could be closer to family in Western North Carolina, she knew this was where she would spend her final days, though we all thought there would be more of them. She spent her last fully aware moments covering tender spring plants to protect them from a hard freeze. She was a gift to every place she lived and everyone who knew her, and she leaves a long trail of care and gratitude behind her.

She is survived by sons, Mark (Marie) of Nashville, TN and Hendersonville, NC; and Paul (Brenda) of Ponte Vedra, FL; grandchildren, Atticus McEntire and Claire Minneman (Jeff), Rebecca Banks (Andrew) and Robin Schaal (Kyle); and great-grandchildren, Everett and Noah Banks and Caroline, Baker, and Katherine Schaal. She leaves behind sisters, Patricia Gruber (Ira) of Houston and Everette Claire Marley of Cary; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A memorial service will be held at Westwood Baptist Church, 200 Westhigh Street, Cary at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 15. A reception will follow in the church fellowship hall.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts to the Westwood Baptist Church DROP Fund, Cary Garden Club, or Eastern NC Poverty Network, Inc.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.BrownWynneCary.com for the McEntire family.