Reita Gaither

Greensboro-Reita Durham Gaither, beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother and friend, passed away May 22, 2016. She was preceded in death by her parents Deloris Grubb Durham and Ervin O. Durham, Sr. of Burlington, NC and Lawrence J. Gaither of Greensboro, her husband of 49 years. She is survived by her daughters Pamela Gaither and Vicki Gaither Hall, her son David L. Gaither and wife, Heather and grandchildren Nicolas, Bryce and Meredith Gaither, all of Greensboro, NC; as well as her brother, Bud Durham and wife Pat of Burlington, NC and a foster sister Margie Oliver and husband, Allen of Oneonta, Alabama.
A native of Burlington, NC, Reita was born January 20, 1932 to loving parents Deloris and Ervin. Reita spent all of her younger years in the Burlington area. She attended Elon College, class of 1952, where she graduated with BA's in both French and English. During her time at Elon she was May Queen, Homecoming Maid of Honor, and listed in "Who's Who Among American Students." She later pursued graduate studies at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where she was a resident of the French House. On July 19, 1952 she married Lawrence Jehu Gaither and they settled in Greensboro NC, where she would reside for the rest of her life. A born teacher, Reita taught high school French and English for many years. She then embarked on a second career as a rural letter carrier. During her nearly thirty years as a carrier she was named Outstanding Carrier (1986), was the first female Chaplin of the NCRLCA and went on to become the first woman to be elected President of the North Carolina Rural Letter Carrier's Association. She was a longtime member of Proximity United Methodist Church in Greensboro, NC where she was a lay minister, Sunday School teacher, President of the Women's Society, and a soloist in the choir. Reita loved music, having studied voice and piano for over 13 years. She was also an avid reader, a news junkie, a keen traveler, and a dedicated sports fan-football, basketball, golf, tennis, Nascar-she loved them all. She was kind and compassionate, radiating goodness and love. She was an angel on earth.
A funeral service will be held Friday May 27 at 2:00 pm at Holly Hill Baptist Church in Burlington officiated by Dr. Gene Hunsinger. Interment will follow at Alamance Memorial Park . The family will receive friends from 12:30-1:45 pm prior to the service at the church.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Greensboro Urban Ministry, 305 W. Gate City Blvd. Greensboro, NC 27406; SPCA of the Triad, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro, NC 27405,the Alzheimer's Association, 4615 Dundas Dr. Greensboro, NC 27407 or Greater Piedmont Teen Challenge, 912 Boulevard St. Greensboro, NC 27407 or charity of your choice.

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