Rebecca Lee Staley

We are utterly devastated by the absence of our family, Matriarch.

In loving memory, we honor her love, light, and legacy. Rebecca Lee Staley will forever be cherished for being a beautiful Mother to her son Darryl and her daughter Sanja and a beautiful grandmother to her grandchildren Robert Jr. and La.

We will hold dear her smile, her endless acts of kindness, and the constant selfless giving that she bestowed on those that needed it. Her never wavering faith in her Saviour and her dedication to His will is where we find our peace in this moment and the moments that will come as we face tomorrow without her.

OBITUARY: Rebecca Lee Staley

March 23, 1943 - December 9, 2022

Rebecca Lee Staley, 79, of Fuquay-Varina and Holly Springs, NC, formerly of Morganton, NC, has gone home to be with her Lord and Savior on December 9, 2022. A service of Love & Remembrance will be held Wednesday, December 21st, at Kirksey Funeral Home. 

Rebecca Lee Staley was born in Hendersonville, NC, on March 23rd, 1943, to the late Mary Lee Staley Martin and Ralph Washington. Rebecca graduated from the historic, private Allen School in Asheville, NC. From there, she attended Voorhees College (University) in Denmark, South Carolina. Rebecca reared her family in Burke County. 

Rebecca devoted a lifetime of service to others. Rebecca dedicated  her career to caring for individuals living with disabilities and mental health disorders. Rebecca retired with over 25 years of service at Broughton hospital, where she worked as a Health Technician II. Additionally, prior to her extensive service and retirement at Broughton Hospital, Rebecca worked at the NC School of Deaf and then as a dedicated Nursing Assistant at Britthaven Nursing Home.

Above all, Rebecca’s role of a lifetime was that of a loving mother to her son and daughter. Then a loving grandmother to her grandchildren.

Rebecca was one of the first organizers of the John Thompson Homeless Shelter, located in Marion, NC, a shelter still in operation nearly 30 years later. Rebecca devoted countless hours to serving the community’s most vulnerable, the homeless, and coordinating fundraising efforts alongside her daughter to ensure the success of the mission alongside its founder, John Thompson. 

Rebecca was a key investor and founder of her family’s charitable outreach initiatives. As a key supporter, her family opened the nation’s first Black-owned international-trade Korean-based wig store. She then became a trustee of the not-for-profit division Strandz of Care’ which provided cranial prosthesis serving cancer patients and individuals living with alopecia. 

Her deep love for her grandchildren knew no bounds. She joined alongside her daughter in founding the homeschool academy, Nan’Nees Academy, assisting teaching and graduating both of her grandchildren and then eventually educating and graduating at-risk children from the community. 

As a young woman, Rebecca studied classical piano. She fostered the love of music and the Arts in her children and then again in her grandchildren. She was the first funder of her grandchildren’s music non-profit, TW2 Inc, and The Scale Academy of Performing Arts. She was joined in that seed funding by Rev. Dr. William Barber III. Rebecca became an active administrator and volunteer at the school, as it served hundreds of students from North Carolina to international exchange students from South America, China, and South Africa. Aiding in its notability, Rebecca joined her grandchildren when they performed for Pastor Shirley Cesar, for the historic Chavis Memorial Community Center Trailblazer Awards. 

Rebecca became a founding member of the Whittington & Staley Consulting Group, a national conglomerate specializing in supporting communities in need across the Nation. Alongside her family, through their numerous charitable contributions and outreach work, they have directed millions of dollars to impacted communities across the US South. Rebecca enjoyed traveling across the Nation with her family. 

Rebecca’s love for her Heavenly Father, her quiet demeanor, her sweet smile, and her nature to give freely to others while looking for nothing in return have provided peace for her family. They are now left to cherish her memory, embracing and holding dear the endless sacrifices she made for them and the abundance of unconditional love she showered upon them.

Preceded in death by her son Darryl Lamar Staley, left to cherish her memory are her daughter Sanja Staley Whittington of the home, Grandaughter La’ Meshia Whittington, and Grandson Robert Whittington, Jr. of Fuquay Varina, and a host of family and friends.

The family was serviced by Lea Funeral Home of Raleigh, NC. 

The Service of Love & Remembrance, conducted by Kirksey Funeral Home, will include the visitation and receiving of friends and will include a musical tribute by Rebecca’s Grandchildren in honor of her memory and legacy the service will be followed by a Private Interment.

Read obituary here: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/morganton/name/rebecca-staley-obituary?id=38432149