Rebekah Brown Fanelty was born July 29, 1931, the youngest daughter of Reverend O. Lester and Clara Dougherty Brown, in Boone, North Carolina. She met her husband William C. Fanelty, Commander, USN (Retired) at High Point College (now University) and they were married by her father in 1951. Her husband was a U. S. Navy officer and they were stationed many places during his career; among them the Philippines, Guam, Key West, Florida and Hawaii. They retired to Charlotte where she was an organist in several different churches as she had been during their Military service. She donated her time and efforts to both the American Red Cross and the Piedmont Medical Center, Rock Hill, SC where she worked as a volunteer.
She is survived by her three sons William C. Jr and wife Diane of Rock Hill, SC, Steven M. and wife Becky of Virginia Beach, VA, and Gregory T. and wife Amy of Charlotte, NC and daughter Elizabeth A. Vogler of Flat Rock, NC, grandchildren John Vogler IV of Candler, NC, Katie Bonanno of Fletcher, NC, Zackary Fanelty of Savannah, GA, Chloe Davis of Chesapeake, VA, Sarah Fanelty of Charlotte, NC, and Adam Fanelty of Charlotte, NC, and great grandchildren Josiah Vogler, Joey and Mia Bonanno, and Eliana Vogler.
Services will be held at Greene Funeral Home, Northwest Chapel on Saturday, June 1 at 5 pm. Interment will be at the Salisbury National Cemetery, Salisbury, NC.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.