Edna Whitt

Edna Grace Whitt, age 89, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Grace was born in Asheville, NC to the late Noble E. and Sue Mundy Gregg. Grace grew up in Asheville where she worked for many years as a front desk receptionist at Blue Ridge Motor Lodge, a family-owned motel on Tunnel Road. There she met her late husband, Walter Cleveland "WC" Whitt. After they married, the couple resided in Garner, NC. Grace was a member of First Baptist Church of Garner where she and WC served others through meals, mowing lawns, and friendly home visits. Grace loved the Lord; she prayed for her family and friends (old and new) regularly. Family meant the world to Grace. She enjoyed family reunions, overnight visits from loved ones, and especially vacations and holiday gatherings with her sister Cathy's family. In their free time, Grace and WC enjoyed exploring the United States by bus and the Caribbean by cruise ship with close friends, sightseeing and in search of some good gospel music.

Grace was kind, very generous, and extremely appreciative. Grace was genuinely complimentary, quick to notice your nice shirt, new hair style, and especially jewelry. Grace valued people and relationships over possessions and tasks. She frequently asked if you were taking care of yourself, getting enough sleep, or eating properly. She viewed life through a lens of optimism; her "glass" was consistently half-full. Her welcoming smile would light up a room, and she quickly made friends wherever she went.

Grace was a sweet southern woman, saying "please" and "thank you" in most every conversation. But she also asserted an occasional stubborn streak, a common trait in the women in her family. She would stand firm in her decision while maintaining a polite demeanor.

Grace was preceded in death by her loving husband, Walter Cleveland "WC" Whitt; brothers, Robert "Bob" Gregg and Horace "Ted" Gregg; sisters Elizabeth Gregg and Virginia Crawford; and adored niece and caregiver, Sherry Shuford. Surviving are her son, Eric Willis and wife Regina; sisters, Florence Willis and Catherine "Cathy" Stirewalt; niece and caregiver, Charla Parks and husband Paul; and many treasured nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, March 13, 2025 from 12:30 - 1:30pm at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, 831 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, NC. A graveside service, officiated by Reverend Ron Fowler of First Baptist Church of Garner, will follow at 2pm at Montlawn Memorial Park, 2911 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh, NC. In April, the family will gather in Asheville, NC for a celebration of Grace's life and faith.

The family would like to thank Dianne Deliz, as well as the staff and caregivers of Watercrest Spanish Springs Assisted Living community, Lady Lake FL, for their loving care of Grace and for treating her as one of their own family members in her final months.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to your favorite charity in Grace's honor. Condolences may be made at www.bryan-leefuneralhome.com.