Vera Rabin

Vera was born on June 19, 1921 in Carrboro, NC the oldest child of Wade and Bertha Thrift. She grew up in what was then a small town with her sister Virda ("Tut") and brother Roger. Despite hard times including world wars and the Great Depression, she enjoyed a wonderful and rich life with a large extended family full of life, laughter and love. In 1945, Vera met David Rabin, a Duke engineering and later Duke Law School student. However, Vera was a cadet nurse and nurse cadets were not allowed to marry. Love won out and she left her nursing training. They married in 1946 and the small town girl was whisked away to live in New York and then Washington D.C. They later returned to NC to make their home and raise their family in Greensboro.

In addition to a busy life raising five children, Vera was active in the Women's Legal Auxiliary, the Greensboro Garden Club, and was a Girl Scout leader. She was a founding member and served on the Board of Trustees at Christ United Methodist Church. Vera was involved in many local charitable organizations and her life was a continuous testament to helping those in need. She always made the time for the less fortunate including delivering Meals on Wheels and reading the Bible to patients in nursing homes. She joined the fellowship at Westover Church shortly after it was started and was a diligent student through many years of Bible study groups. Her faith and her generous and compassionate spirit inspired all who met her.

Despite her success and accomplishments, there still was an unfulfilled dream. Illustrative of her spirit and one of her proudest accomplishments was earning her nursing degree. At the age of 52 and after raising five children, Vera enrolled at UNC-G and proudly was graduated with honors in 1982 earning a BSN and was inducted into Sigma Theta Tau, the national honor society of nursing. She later inspired many when they would say that they wanted to be a nurse but were too old or too busy to go back to school. Even in her nineties when someone would say they had heard that she had been a nurse, she would proudly correct them and declare “I AM a nurse.”

After losing her beloved David in 1984, Vera continued a vibrant life enjoying water aerobics, dining out with friends, awesome shopping trips with her dear sister and a favorite Charles Stanley Ministries Alaskan cruise.

Her faith, love and good humor were undeterred by her physical pain and infirmities. When one lives to be 95 years old, the body creaks and groans and you have suffered the loss of most friends and family

members. What enabled Vera to continue was her unquestioning faith in God and her love of family. She would insist that chocolate also played a key role.

Vera was predeceased by her father and mother, sister and brother, husband David and daughter Deanna. Surviving are son Randy and Barbara of Falls Church, VA, son Neil and Maggie Mae of Greensboro, daughter Janet of Asheville, NC and daughter Susan of Greensboro, grandchildren Jason Arthur of Port St. Lucie, Fl, Jessica Marsh of Asheville, NC, Kristina and Justin Fick of Raleigh, NC, Jackson and Evangeline Lehr of New York, and Luke and Julia Rabin of Richmond, VA, sister-in-law Fran Thrift of New Bern, NC, nephew Michael and Suzanne Thrift of Wilmington, NC and niece Kristi and Chuck Gilgo of New Bern, NC.

The excellent and loving care by her CNA team enabled Vera to remain in her home of 60 years and without doubt contributed to her longevity. The family is deeply appreciative of their care and friendship. The family is also very grateful for the 30 years of exemplary care given to Vera by Dr. Thomas Brackbill. We would also like to thank Dr. Hal Stoneking and Nurse Practitioner Carroll Spinks for their excellent care and in her final weeks, we thank the awesome angels of Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro. The visits and kind notes from Westover Pastor Don Miller and Donna were cherished as they reminded Vera that she was being kept in their prayers. Vera and the family were blessed to have Pastor Bob Voorhees of Westover Church make faithful home and hospital visits offering spiritual inspiration with his wonderful characteristic friendly and good humored manner. All greatly contributed to her excellent quality of life and Vera was, and the family will always be, deeply grateful.

Life well done, Vera! We love, honor and respect you so much and will miss you terribly. You will surely remain in our hearts every minute of every day forever.

Services will be held on Wednesday, Oct 5, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. in the Atrium of Westover Church, Muirs Chapel Road. The family will greet visitors prior to the service. A private burial will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro.