Joan “Jan” Greenham Showfety passed away August 14, 2018, surrounded by her children. Mrs. Showfety’s generosity of spirit was expressed in her final wishes that included the donation of her remains to Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University to benefit medical research in hopes of helping others. A memorial Mass will be scheduled for a future date.
Mrs. Showfety, born September 6, 1922, was a British native who met and married her American husband while serving in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (British Royal Air Force) during World War II. She was detached to serve with the American Signal Corp as a teletypist. After the war, she joined her husband (William K. “Bill” Showfety, now deceased) in the US where she resided in Greensboro, North Carolina, until her retirement in 2008 to Pennybyrn at Maryfield in High Point.
Mrs. Showfety was charming and witty, a true lady, and a devout Catholic. She was a devoted wife for 62 years and although she adapted to American ways, she remained British to her core, including her daily routine of enjoying afternoon tea. She was the beloved middle sister to two siblings, Marjorie Greenham Hunt and Thomas B. Greenham, both of whom resided in England and passed before her. She was a loving mother to three children, Stephen D. Showfety of Greensboro, Kathryn S. Spivey married to William D. Spivey of High Point, and Lori S. Brix of Horseshoe Bay, TX. She was also the grandmother and great-grandmother to five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She has numerous nieces and nephews both in the US and England.
The family expresses deep gratitude to the Catholic Sisters of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God and entire staff at Maryfield and Pennybyrn for their continuous and loving care to the end. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to continue the work of the Sisters, who are from the United Kingdom and came to America in 1947, to begin a mission to care for the elderly and infirm, partly inspired by the support and kindness shown to them by American soldiers in Europe during World War II. Memorial contributions may be made to, Pennybyrn Residents’ Fund, 109 Penny Road, High Point, NC 27260.
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