RALEIGH

Eranda Covington McLendon Stallings, 101, passed away peacefully on June 6, 2020. Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and teacher, she will be missed by the many whose lives she touched and left the better for it.

Preceded in death by her husband, Ernest M. Stallings of Selma, NC, she is survived by: children Eranda Sue Bradshaw and husband David W. Bradshaw of Six Mile, SC, Wayne Stallings and wife Martha Carroll Stallings of Louisburg, NC, and Rebecca S. Crawford and Michael D. Crawford of Highlands Ranch, Colorado; grandchildren Duane D. Bradshaw and husband Ward Stevens of Rockville, MD, Jeffrey H. Bradshaw and wife Anna Kilpatrick Bradshaw of Oahu, Hawaii, Robin DeSimone and husband Giovanni E. DeSimone of Sims, NC, David Stallings of Charlotte, NC; great grandchildren Giovanni M. DeSimone and Brianna DeSimone of Sims, NC; numerous McLendon and Stallings nieces and nephews.

Known for her kindness, humor, and southern lady charm, Eranda was born in Pinopolis, SC. She was raised in Kenansville and Wadesboro, NC. She attended Mars Hill Junior College and Meredith College.

She met her husband Ernest in Kenansville, where he had come to work under an FDR program. They married just before WWII.

While teaching for many years at AB Combs Elementary, Eranda was honored as a Master Teacher. Also, she was invited to join Delta Kappa Gamma Society for Key Women Educators and served as President of the Gamma Omicron Chapter of Wake County. She was also a constant volunteer for the Red Cross Blood Mobile across Wake County for many years.

Eranda loved travel, movies, concerts and plays, friends and family. Her three mottos were "Live, Laugh, Love!", "When?" which referred to her joyful readiness to go anywhere anytime, and "Enjoy every minute!"

We are so blessed by her example!

The family would like to thank all the wonderful and caring employees of Abbottswood at Stonehenge and Nurse Care of Carolina who made a real home for mom. Denise, Pam, Brittany and Phyllis especially, your heartfelt love for mom made all the difference these last months.

Interment will be at Montlawn.  Pastor Melton Tyson will conduct the service.  A celebration of Eranda's life will be held at a later date.