Doris Rae Gwaltney

Doris Rea Horne Gwaltney, 89, of Smithfield, passed away on December 27. After graduating from Longwood College and teaching music in public schools, she married William Atwill Gwaltney, Sr., her husband of 63 years.  At Trinity United Methodist Church, she taught Sunday school for over 40 years and directed the choir for 30 years. After taking creative writing classes at William & Mary, she found her passion in writing, publishing works such as Shakespeare’s Sister, Duncan Browdie, Gent, Homefront, and others. She taught and assisted dozens of new writers at CNU’s Lifelong Learning program and in the Isle of Wight Writers' Group and was a member of the Smithfield Shakespeare Class for over 60 years. She is survived by her beloved husband, William Atwill Gwaltney, Sr, and her three children William Gwaltney, Jr., Mary Vaz, and Benjamin Thacker-Gwaltney, their spouses and partners, sisters Margaret Woolman and Jean Duncan, and nine grandchildren.  Memorial service to be held at a later date at Trinity UMC. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Trinity UMC, 201 Cedar St, Smithfield VA 23430, or to the CNU Lifelong Learning Society, 660 Hamilton Drive, Newport News, VA 23602, earmarked for CNU Writers Conference.  Online Condolences may be registered at www.littlesfuneralhome.com.