CARY, NC: Tommie Haywood Brockmann, 83, passed away peacefully holding her daughter's hand in her home on Friday, February 21, 2014. At the time of her death, Tommie was cared for by her daughter, Jeanne, her dear caregivers from Home Choice and Hospice of Wake County. A native of Union County, she was the daughter of the late Thomas Hunter and Ellie Redfern Haywood.
Tommie was a graduate of the Women's College of the University of North Carolina (now UNC-Greensboro). After a brief period of work at NC State University, Tommie met and, in 1955, married the love of her life, Ed, who was at the time serving in the US Navy. They lived for a period of time in Texas and Florida until Ed retired from the Navy in 1962. Upon his retirement from the US Navy, they returned to Tommie's home of Union County where they spent the next 39 years. During this time, Tommie began a career as an elementary school teacher in Waxhaw, NC, and was a favorite teacher of many. She and Ed moved to Cary in 2001 to be near Jeanne and her three grandchildren.
While living in Union County, Tommie and Ed were active members in Tommie's home church, Mineral Springs United Methodist. Tommie's favorite activity while at Mineral Springs was being a part of the quilting group and she developed very close friendships with members of her quilting group. Even after Tommie and Ed moved away, they continued to stay in close touch, and her quilting group would often travel to Cary for the day to visit Tommie and Ed. After moving to Cary, they found a new church home at St. Francis United Methodist where they were members of the Primetimers and Footsteps groups.
Tommie loved to travel, particularly to attend US Navy ship reunions, where she and Ed would be reunited with former Navy friends. They also enjoyed frequent trips to their home in Blowing Rock, a town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC that they dearly loved. She and Ed enjoyed New Orleans jazz and would frequently travel to various venues to hear their favorite groups from Preservation Hall in New Orleans. They dearly loved each other and shared many adventures during the 53 years that they were married.
In addition to her parents, Tommie was predeceased by her husband John Edward (Ed) Brockmann. She is survived by her daughter, Jeanne, and her grandchildren, Taylor, John Michael and Kristin, all of Cary, a brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Joy Haywood, of Raleigh, and a sister, Patsy Lloyd, of Raleigh. She is also survived by nephews Rick Haywood of Connecticut and Kenneth Haywood of Raleigh.
The family would like to thank Tommie's caregivers from Home Choice, particularly Michelle, Sherre and Shunay, for their love and wonderful care and support over the last few months.
A graveside service will be held on Thursday, February 27, 2014 at 1:00PM at Sharon Memorial Park in Charlotte, NC at 5716 Monroe Rd, Charlotte, NC 28212, with visitation to follow.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Mineral Springs United Methodist Church at 5915 Old Monroe-Waxhaw Rd., Mineral Springs, NC 28112, or to St. Francis Methodist Church at 2965 Kildaire Farm Rd., Cary, NC 27518.
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