Harry Womble

Born on October 29, 1921 to Ethel and Bernice Womble, Harry Goldston Womble began his life in Goldston, NC. Although he grew up in this small town just outside of Sanford, NC, his heart always belonged to White Lake. It all began in the Summer of 1933 when Harry started working for his uncle, H.P. Goldston, at Goldston's Beach. In 1938, White Lake became his permanent home. After working for years, Harry and his brother Jack took over ownership of Goldston's Beach in 1946. He has since been the owner and operator of one of White Lake's most iconic businesses for over 70 years.

Harry met an Elizabethtown girl, Johnnie Averitte, and married her in May of 1946. They spent years working together in the family business that Harry loved and raising their family of four children. Sadly, Harry was predeceased by his wife of 43 years. Harry was blessed to find another companion in Betty Cribb who he married in 1991.

In his many years of service to his town, country, church, business, and family, Harry was an original member of the Bladen County Hospital Board of Trustees, member of the White Lake Town Board of Commissioners, first chief of the White Lake Fire Department and on the Board of Directors for North Carolina National Bank and its successors. Harry was a long-time supporter and benefactor of Campbell University where he served on the Board of Trustees and Presidential Board of Advisors. He endowed multiple scholarships to the Divinity School and was honored to receive the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award in 2004 for his extraordinary civic and Christian service accomplishments. Harry's service to the Elizabethtown Baptist Church is exemplary. As a long-standing member, he served as a deacon, member of the finance committee and member of the building committee which oversaw the relocation of the church to its present site. He served his country in the United States Army in World War II in the European theater of operations.

Harry was preceded in death by his wife, Johnnie Averitte Womble, his mother and father, Ethel Goldston Brooks and Archibald Bernice Womble, his brother James Jackson Womble and his sister Helen Womble McSwain and special family friend, Mattie Richardson.

Harry leaves behind his beloved wife, Betty Perry Womble; sons: Harry Goldston Womble, Jr. and wife Faye, John Hugh Womble and wife Jill, all of White Lake, NC; daughters: Donna Womble Keigher and husband Tom of Gastonia, NC, and Mollie Womble Owen and husband Greg of Raleigh, NC; stepson: David Cribb and wife Heather of Austin, TX. He had seven grandchildren: Lauren Thomas, Jake Womble, Kristen Smith, C.J. Stewart, Robert Stewart, Brewer Owen and John Owen; and six great grandchildren: Alex Stewart, Makayla Stewart, Anna Gooden, Witt Gooden, Katherine Thomas and Wyatt Thomas.

A recent Fayetteville Observer article said, "Harry Womble has made generations joyful for a lifetime." He mentored hundreds of young people in their summer jobs at Goldston's Beach over the years and many of them still cherish the positive effects he had on their lives. He described his long trip from Goldston to White Lake by saying, "When you got here to the lake, you thought you were in heaven." His love for White Lake was acknowledged by presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Elizabethtown-White Lake Chamber of Commerce in 2015. He was lucky enough to live in his version of earthly heaven most of his life and now he lives with his Heavenly Father.

The family will receive friends on Saturday, May 5th from 1:00-3:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall of Elizabethtown Baptist Church followed by a funeral service in the sanctuary at 3:00 PM officiated by Dr. Earl Farthing. Burial will immediately follow the service at Bladen Memorial Gardens. Donations in lieu of flowers to be made to Elizabethtown Baptist Church Building Fund, 1800 West Broad Street, Elizabethtown, NC 28337, or the charity of one's choice.