Margaret Allen Durfey Timberlake

ALEXANDRIA, VA - Margaret Allen Durfey Timberlake, 102 years old, of Alexandria, VA, and formerly of Raleigh, NC, died peacefully on August 5, 2022, at The Fairfax at Belvoir Woods in Ft. Belvoir, VA. She was born in Raleigh, NC, on December 7, 1919, to Cary Kennedy Durfey and Margaret Allen Durfey—the third of five daughters. Margaret (Bet) was a graduate of Needham Broughton High School and Peace College in Raleigh and was employed by the Equitable Life Insurance Company up until her marriage. One of Bet’s fondest memories was her summers spent on Harker’s Island, NC. The Durfey girls and their mother would stay through the summer. Their father would travel from Raleigh to join them over the weekends. She was featured in Life Magazine when she made her debut at the N.C. Debutante Ball held by the Terpsichorean Club in 1940. Margaret married Navy Pilot Lieutenant Claude “Tim” Vernon Timberlake of Youngsville, NC, in Feb 1944. They spent their honeymoon driving cross country to San Diego, CA, where Tim deployed to the Pacific Theater of WWII for 10 months. After the war, the Navy moved them around the country until their last assignment to Washington, DC, in 1959. They settled in the community of Waynewood, in Alexandria, VA, where they raised their five daughters. Margaret told Tim, when she accepted his marriage proposal, that she wanted five girls because she loved growing up with sisters. Years later, her five daughters blessed her with five son-in-laws whom she deeply cared for, and they in turn, loved and respected her. With her daughters, she carried on her family summer tradition with a beach week in Emerald Isle, NC, which began in 1962 and the tradition continues. Following Tim’s death in 1979, Margaret remained in Waynewood staying active in her church, the Old Presbyterian Meeting House. At church, Margaret's deep faith and love of her Lord would result in being a Sunday school teacher and an elder. She was a member of the church for over 61 years. Margaret traveled with a close circle of church friends to places including Europe, Israel, Egypt, Australia, and China. When not traveling with her friends, Margaret loved spending time with her children and grandchildren. In addition to her church work, Margaret volunteered at Ft. Belvoir Hospital, worked with special needs children, and delivered Meals on Wheels, but no matter how busy she was she always made herself available to her daughters whenever they needed help. Margaret's deep and abiding faith can be traced to a church camp she attended at the age of 12. It was then that she committed to reading the Bible faithfully every night until her death. Her children and grandchildren have fond memories of sitting on Granny’s bed with her while she read her Bible and said her prayers. No family member was forgotten as she prayed each night. Her family is sure that her steadfast faith and her prayers have kept their large family strong through all the good and sad times. Margaret’s daughters are indebted to their sister Barbara, who gave unselfishly of her time for many years taking care of their mother. Margaret was preceded in death by her husband, Claude “Tim” Vernon Timberlake, of 35 years; daughter Margaret “Timi” Doyle and her husband Daniel Doyle; grandchildren Barbara Morgan and Stewart Arnet; and by her sisters, Frances Kropp, Florence McNamara, Betty Whit Lyon, and Dorothy Hoover. She is survived by her daughters Madeline Morgan (Walt), Beverly Chenoweth (Rick), Barbara Sacknoff (Craig), and Sally Arnet (Bob), grandchildren Mary Doyle (William), Margaret Sinnema (Joe), Molly Swensen (Mike), Walt Morgan (Nicole), Sally Perry (Glenn), Madeline Day (Rob), Cary Braun (Jacob), Beth Murdock (Bryan), Beverly Weber (Kevin), David Sacknoff (Melissa), Jeff Sacknoff, Amanda Arnet (Carter), and Abby Miller (Ben), and 20 great grandchildren: Sydney, Henry, Michael, Ryan, Katelyn, Lucy, Megan, Charlotte, Ryan, Luke, Clara, Annie, Violet, Ava, Riley, Dylan, Deacon, Drake, Baker, and Mack. Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, August 20th, 2:00pm at Oakwood Cemetery, 701 Oakwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27601, officiated by Margaret’s nephew, Reverend Dr. Larry Lyon. A memorial service will be held at the Old Presbyterian Meeting House in Alexandria, Va at a later date. Memorials may be made to Old Presbyterian Meeting House, 323 South Fairfax St., Alexandria, VA 22314 Funeral arrangements are by Bryan-Lee Funeral Home of Raleigh. Online condolences may be made at www.bryan-leefuneralhome.com