This obituary was originally published on Jernigan-Warren Funeral Home.
Dorothy Raynor Ennis (Dot) passed away peacefully, her devoted daughters by her side, on July 26, 2024, at Carolina Inn Assisted Living in Fayetteville, NC where she had resided since December 2018. Dot was born on March 3, 1929, in Ahoskie, NC to the late James William Raynor and Julia Short Raynor.
Dot graduated from Ahoskie High School where she served as editor of the “Pow Wow” school newspaper and was voted “Most Intelligent Girl”. She was Valedictorian of the class of 1947. Dot attended “Old” Wake Forest College in Wake Forest, NC and graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1951. She loved Wake Forest with a passion and gained many lifelong friends and met her future husband and love of her life, Earl Ennis to whom she was married for nearly 61 years.
Her first job after graduating was teaching in Fuquay Springs, NC. After marrying Earl, she moved to Fayetteville, NC and later taught French and English at 71st High School. She was later actively involved in their businesses including Horse World Western Store, Boots and Saddles, and their horse farm raising, breeding and showing Arabian horses. She loved to tell stories of all her horse adventures–even delivering foals!
Dot had many interests over her 95 years–she loved to play bridge, sew, knit, garden and was an avid reader. She was an actively involved member of Woodland Garden Club for many years. But her most cherished activity was spending time with her precious grandchildren. She was great at bringing friends together and loved to start clubs–Friday Friends Lunch Club, Birthday Club, “No Rules” Club and more. She maintained close relationships with friends from childhood, high school, college and throughout her adult life. She called herself their “cheerleader” and was a great listener and encourager. She made friends everywhere she went from Harris Teeter to Talbots to Wendy’s.
Dot and Earl were active in several churches. At Snyder Memorial Baptist Church where their children were baptized and their daughter Becky was married, Dot taught an adult Sunday School class. When they moved to their horse farm, they joined Stoney Point Baptist Church where she led the GA’s and served as Director of Vacation Bible School. When they moved back into town, they joined First Presbyterian Church where their children and grandchildren were members.
Dot was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved husband Earl. She is survived by her daughters, Julie Anne Ennis and Elizabeth (Becky) Ennis Broadwell (David), all of Fayetteville; her son Edward Earl Ennis, Jr. of Fort Lauderdale, FL; her grandchildren, James Broadwell (Madison) of Southern Pines, NC and Clare Broadwell (Jeffrey Forbes) of Raleigh, NC; great granddaughter, Daphne; sisters, Earle Dilday of Fayetteville and Theresa Tayloe of Wilmington, NC; and her brother, Jim Raynor (Martha) of Virginia Beach, VA.
The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to many staff members at Carolina Inn for their kindness and compassionate care including Cathy, Heather, Anna, Adrienne, Annie, Stephanie, Aleah, Melanie, Bertha, Denise, Karen, Debbie, John, Donna, Jessica and many others. And finally, many thanks to Pruitt Hospice for their excellent care.
The family will receive friends at Jernigan Warren Funeral Home on Saturday, August 3, 2024, with a visitation at 3 pm and Funeral service at 4 pm in the Jernigan-Warren Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Alzheimers Society, The Baptist Children’s Home of NC, Fayetteville Animal Protection Society or First Presbyterian Church of Fayetteville.
Services provided by Jernigan-Warren Funeral Home, 545 Ramsey St., Fayetteville, NC 28301
Online condolences may be sent to www.jerniganwarren.com