December 15, 2020, 80, Goldsboro
Grace Ann Gordon, 80, of Goldsboro passed away Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at Wayne UNC Health Care in Goldsboro.
The family will receive friends Thursday, December 17, 2020 from 5 until 6: 30 p.m. at Howell Funeral Home & Crematory in Goldsboro.
Ann was born in Texas and raised in a small town in Southeast Louisiana. She grew up surrounded by family on River Road in Ponchatula Louisiana. Her father had a small farm with cattle, horses and a few crops. She and her brother Bill Gordon helped out on the farm and enjoyed growing up spending time with family. She was not a fan of the farm and country life, so when she finished high school and turned 18 she headed for New Orleans, a city she grew to love.
She met and married Cloris LeBlanc, a Cajun from Southwest Louisiana. He was a dredge boat captain, a job that required them to move often throughout the South. They raised three children and were together for over 20 years before they decided to go their separate ways. Their oldest child, Debbie had joined the Air Force and was stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB in Goldsboro, NC. Ann decided at that time to move to Goldsboro to be close to Debbie. Their youngest child, Dianna soon followed.
She remained in Goldsboro, working for Cooper Standard products until she was forced to retire due to health issues. In retirement her old farm roots were evident. She loved working in her flower beds, sewing, shopping and perusing the local yard sales and antique shops to see if their was anything there she just could not live without. Like most of us, she surfed the internet and enjoyed playing games on the computer.
She was honest to a fault and had strong beliefs and opinions she was never afraid to share with others. Her and Cloris had owned a corvette in their younger years and every car she drove since, she thought was supposed to be driven like a race car. She loved the Lord and her family. Her home was filled with pictures of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She kept up with what was happening in their lives with phone calls and of course, Facebook. She may have been 80 but she didn’t act a day over 60.
She was an animal lover. She had two dogs, Bella and Little Bit, both given to her by her grandchildren. They were like her children. She took them for daily rides in her golf cart, bought Little Bit clothes and dressed her and shared her meals with them.
Two of her favorite things to do was to read and sleep. She especially enjoyed the Amish books.
She had a loving heart and was known to many of her children’s friends as Momma Ann. She embraced them and always tried to guide them down the right paths. She was loved dearly and will be missed by many.
She is survived by one son, David E. LeBlanc and wife, Malory of Georgia; two daughters, Debbie Pike and husband, Bryan of Goldsboro and Dianna Price and husband, Skip of LaGrange; one brother, Bill Gordon and wife, Lavelle of Utah; eight grandchildren, Mandy, Kari, Chelsea and Gabriel LeBlanc, Melissa O’Merry and husband, Ashley, Justin Pike and wife, Brittany, Brittani Coley and husband, Justin and Bailee Ellis and fiancé, Chandler Cannon and fourteen great-grandchildren, Andrea and Kaulani Bowles, Kaylen Pike, Conner and Hunter O’Merry, Jordy and Blakeleigh Pike, Nathan Jacob McIlrath, Natalie Marie McIlrath, Noah David Pena, Knox Amador Pena, Adalyn Elizabeth LeBlanc, Riley Grace Santifort and Jacob Elliot Coley.
The family is in the care of Howell Funeral Home & Crematory in Goldsboro.
