Dora Blalock Batts Vail, 92, of Pikeville passed away June 27, 2017 in Blacksburg.
She was born in Fremont, North Carolina Jan. 31, 1925, the only child of Rufus Milton Batts and Abbie Blalock Batts.
Her father died when she was eight. She graduated from Fremont High School as salutatorian and from Peace College in Raleigh and remained in contact with “Peace Girls” until her death.
She worked at Wayne Wholesale Grocery and Pate-Dawson Motor Co. in Goldsboro before marrying Martin Allen Vail, Sr. in March 1949 and moving to Pikeville where she was bookkeeper for him in his businesses, Western Auto and True Value Hardware. She was a member of St. Joseph United Methodist Church where she held several offices.
She served as a member of the Wayne County Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee for nine years and was named Pikeville’s Most Distinguished Woman in 2004.
Martin Allen Vail, Sr. passed away in September, 2001 following their 51 years of marriage. She is survived by three children: Donna Vail Morgan and husband Dr. George E. Morgan III of Blacksburg, Virginia; Martin Allen Vail, Jr. and wife Janet Barbee Vail of Morehead City, NC; Dawn Vail Price and husband Dr. Jerry Theodore Price of Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia; grandchildren: Abbie Vail Morgan of Bakersfield, CA; Dr. Rachel Dawn Price of Columbus, OH; Dr. Jordan Naomi Price of Fayetteville, GA; Capt. Jerry Theodore (Ted) Price, Jr. of Savannah, GA; Samuel Martin Price of Lynchburg, VA; sister-in-law, Eleanor Vail Cook of Boerne, TX; special nephew, Albert Jesse (Jay) Vail, III of Pikeville; special niece, Rev. Phyllis Vail of Goldsboro; special cousin, Robert (Bob) Smith and wife Ann of Windsor, VA.
Visitation was held Friday, June 30, 2017 from 7 until 8:30 p.m. at Shackleford-Howell Funeral Home, 102 N. Pine Street in Fremont. A service to celebrate her life will be held Saturday. July 1, 2017 at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph United Methodist Church, 200 West Church Street, Pikeville by Rev. Rose Hicks and Rev. Phyllis Vail. Burial will be at Elmwood Cemetery in Fremont.
Memorials may be made to St. Joseph United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 43, Pikeville, North Carolina 27863.
