Ms. Devin Paterson Pressley quietly passed on Jan. 30, 2010, at UNC Hospitals. She was 64.
Devin was born in Oklahoma City, Okla., and raised in Hudson, Ohio. She was the daughter of Thomas Hugh Paterson and Ann Gilchrist Paterson. She graduated from Mars Hill College in North Carolina and spent a good portion of her life dedicated to education. She taught all ages, from preschoolers to adults. Part of her life was also spent working on issues surrounding elder care and quality of life. She started one of the first adult day-care centers in the Asheville, N.C. area.
Devin lived in many places, including Tryon, Hendersonville and Asheville, N.C.; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Fall River, Mass. Most recently, she lived at Emerald Pond Retirement Center in Durham, N.C.
Devin was a very social person. Her hobbies included painting and doll collecting, and she recently wanted to write and illustrate a children’s book about a great blue heron she often saw on walks with her dog, Annie.
Devin is survived by her son, Bryon Scot Pressley of Durham; her brother, Thomas H. Paterson of Tiverton, R.I.; and her sister, Penelope Blair of Atlanta. She was preceded in death by her eldest sister, Martha (Becky) Holbrook, and her parents.