Stella Daphene Cottle

Stella “Daphene” McPhail Cottle (83), affectionately known to those who loved her as “Nanny” and “Gigi”, passed peacefully surrounded by her loved ones on October 30, 2026. Daphene was born in Fayetteville, NC on September 27, 1943 but moved to Godwin, NC, during her childhood where she would grow up to live a fun-filled and rich life complete with love, faith, family and the simple joys to create a lifetime of beautiful memories.

Shortly after turning 18, on September 29, 1961, she married the love of her life, “Peanut”. Their love was the kind that stood the test of time—unwavering and everlasting. Daphene was devastated to lose him in 2014, one month shy of 53 years of marriage, and talked about missing him daily. In her final days, it was evident her heart remained with him as she lovingly expressed her desire to go be with him and her mother and father, too. There is comfort in knowing that the reunion she longed for has finally come.

Daphene not only had love for Peanut; she had a remarkable gift for making others feel loved and cared for as well. Whether she was preparing a home-cooked meal, canning something yummy, sewing something beautiful or creating one of her treasured quilts, her hands were rarely still. She especially loved quilting! Not simply for the beauty of what she was creating but more about the joy in sharing it with others. To know Daphene was to love her, but to be loved by her was to receive a handmade quilt! Each stitch was a little piece of herself, a lasting memory…reminder of her warmth, love and goodness she gave so freely! It was simply her way of wrapping the people she loved and cared for in a little piece of herself.

Left to treasure Daphene’s memory are Daphene’s only daughter, Melody Sumpter (Chris Smith); her grandchildren, Mariah Simon (John) and Joshua Sumpter, her firefighter, of whom she was infinitely proud; and her “great-grands”, Landon, Waylon and Graycie Simon.

Daphene was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Peanut—Charlie Macon Cottle, Jr.; her parents, Gene and Ruby McPhail; her Siblings, Gene McPhail, Larry “Turtle” McPhail, and Judy Aldridge as well as many other cherished loved ones who welcomed her home.

There is no doubt Daphene’s legacy will live on in the recipe’s passed down, stories whispered in the ears of her great-grands, the quilts lovingly wrapped around those she cherished, and the countless memories held near and dear by her family and friends. While her absence leaves an ache in the hearts of those who loved her, there is peace in knowing she is exactly where she longed to be—reunited with her beloved Peanut!

Her hands may now be still, but the love she stitched into all those quilts and into so many lives she touched will remain forever! And…knowing Daphene, she has already begun creating quilts to welcome us all when the time comes!

Visitation with Family & Friends will be held at Wade Baptist Church, 7242 Main Street, Wade, NC 28395, on November 7, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, followed by a Funeral Service at Wade Baptist Church on November 7, 2026, at 1:00 pm.

Burial will take place at Old Bluff Cemetery, 4100 Old Bluff Church Road, Godwin, NC 28344, on November 7, 2026.