August 16, 2025, 80 Goldsboro —
Ann Overman Yates, age 80, passed away early Saturday morning at Bradley Creek Health Center in Wilmington, NC. Ann was born to Marjorie Moore Overman and Thell Becton Overman and spent her childhood in Wallace, NC, along with her older sister, Etta, and many close friends she cherished throughout life. Ann was incredibly proud and grateful for her childhood in Wallace and spoke of it often. After graduating from Wallace-Rose Hill High School, she attended Vardell Hall.
Ann began her life-long career with Delta Airlines in 1966. Through that career she met her husband Ron Yates in Miami and they were married in Wallace, NC in 1970. While in Miami their daughter Mary Francis was born in August of 1976, then moving to Dallas, Texas in 1979 their son Robert was born in February of 1981. Ann spent her career with Delta traveling across the globe where she would joke with friends and family about her feet hurting because she had “walked across the world”. Even when she wasn’t at work she would spend her time with her family and friends traveling around the world, and she told her husband there wasn’t anything she didn’t get to see. She eventually retired form Delta in 2003 after 36 years of service. After her retirement and a lifetime of travel, the family settled in Wilmington NC. In Wilmington, Ann was active with the New Hanover Arboretum as a Master Gardner, and with her church, St. Thereses’ Womens Group. Ann idolized her parents and was very proud of her family, her community, friends, and many relatives.
A service to celebrate the life of Ann Yates will be held on Friday, August 22nd at 2:00pm at Shumate-Faulk Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Wayne Memorial Park. The family will greet friends on Friday at the funeral home one hour prior to the service. A memorial mass will be scheduled for a later date at the St. Therese Catholic Church in Wrightsville Beach.
Ann is survived by her husband, Ron Yates; a son, Rob Yates and his wife, Anna; a daughter Mary Frances Yates; her grandchildren, Elizabeth and Catherine; a niece, Betsy Mapes and her husband Chris; a nephew, Tripp Griffin and his wife, Karen; great nephews, Philip Fontaine, Evan Fontaine, Blade Griffin and Richard Griffin; and a great niece, Jacquelyn Shea. She was also preceded in death by a sister, Etta Overman Mitchell and a nephew, Phillip Jonathan Mitchell.
Shumate-Faulk Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to be serving the Yates Family.
