Eloise Pike Courville

Eloise grew up in Raleigh, attended Myrtle Underwood School the year it opened; Broughton High School, and graduated from Hugh Morrison High School. After graduating from Hardbarger Business College, she moved to New York City for her first job.

When WWII began, Eloise returned to Raleigh where she met and married Robert "Bob" Joseph Courville. They were married for 73 years until his death in 2016. While Bob fought the war in France, Eloise worked in Oak Ridge, Tennessee as Secretary to the head of the Manhattan Project and for the Treasury Department in Washington DC.

Following the war, Eloise and Bob lived in Marlborough, Massachusetts where their first two daughters were born. Longing for the sunny south, they returned to Raleigh and New Bern, North Carolina where four more daughters followed. She referred to them as "my girls".

In 1961, Bob and Eloise were founding members of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. At Lourdes, Eloise served on the Alter Guild and as a member of the Choir. In addition to managing a busy household, Eloise belonged to several Garden Clubs and bridge clubs, The Raleigh Women's Club and served as a Docent at the Governor's Mansion. Her passion for art and travel led her to be a Docent at the North Carolina Museum of Art and a member and past-President of The Raleigh Fine Arts Society.

In the 1980's, Eloise and Bob were members of the Raleigh Friendship Force. They participated in Ambassador exchanges with New Zealand: Africa, France and South America. In addition, she traveled to Egypt, China, Japan and Italy but the most memorable trip was to Antarctica at the age of 87. She is reported to be the oldest woman to walk among the hundreds of Emperor penguins. Their trip was made more memorable when a photographer from National Geographic used their camera to take amazing pictures for them.

Eloise is survived by her daughters: Susan Courville Baldwin, (Henry Baldwin); Joyce Courville Hayes and Gail Courville Gilmore (William Gilmore) of Raleigh, NC; Kathy Courville Craig (Kent Craig) of Nashville, Tn.; Debra Courville Yates (David Yates), Toccoa, Ga. also twelve grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

She is predeceased by her husband Robert Joseph Courville; daughter Mary Ann Courville; father George W. Pike; mother Laura Woodard Pike; sisters Loma P. Sullivan, Janet P. Cribb, brothers George W. Pike, Carl W. Pike and Jimmie M. Pike; and son-in-law Nathen W. Hayes.

The family wishes to thank Vane Okongo and Anne Karianjahi for their love and care of their mother this past year.

A Memorial Mass will be held on December 18, 2021 at 11 am at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Raleigh, NC. Memorial gifts may be made to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina (foodbankcenc.org) or charity of your choice.

If you would like to leave a message of condolence to her family, you may do so below within "add a memory".