Mrs. Ruby Underhill Briley, 91 passed away on Thursday, July 18, 2024

Ruby was born in Selma, NC on March 29, 1933 to the late Percy Fitzhugh Lee and Hester Smith Underhill. She was born into a farming family and spent her younger years surrounded by animals, the land, and her six siblings, and contributed to caring for the family farm throughout her childhood. Her family always stressed the importance of education, and after high school, Ruby went on to attend East Carolina College, earning both a Bachelor of Science (1955) and Masters of Arts degree (1961) in the Sciences. On April 20, 1956, Ruby married James Dever Briley and they were married for over 62 years. Her love for education became her vocation, to which she dedicated over 30 years, passionately serving her students and school community.

Ruby taught in both the Pitt County and Greenville City Schools. She spent the majority of her career at Tarboro High School where she taught Biology, Physics, and Chemistry. Ruby was a life-long teacher and a proud mentor to many of her students, keeping up with their accomplishments later in life. It was a common occurrence for her to be approached in the community later in life by past students who had later appreciated the rigor of her courses. She was the faculty leader for the Science Club for many years and also began a Senior Citizen's banquet that brought together hundreds of local senior citizens at Tarboro High School.

Ruby was an active member of Tarboro First Baptist Church for over 40 years. In the various churches where she was a member over her lifetime, she taught Sunday School, volunteered on various committees and loved singing in the choir. A lifelong advocate for the elderly, after retiring, she volunteered for Meals on Wheels in the Tarboro community as well as leading Bible study and reading to patients at the Albemarle. Ruby was an avid gardener and a talented cook. She was a follower of both the East Carolina and Duke sports programs. She especially enjoyed spending time with her three grandchildren and hearing about their lives. In her later years, Ruby lost her sight and enjoyed listening to Audible books and visiting with family and caregivers.

Ruby is survived by her son, David Briley and her daughter, Teresa Rackley and her husband, Warner. She is also survived by her three grandsons, Jordan Rackley, Will Briley and Andrew Briley.

In addition to her parents, Ruby was preceded in death by her husband, James Briley. Her six siblings also preceded her in death: William (Bill) Underhill, Percy Underhill, Esther Rollins, Frances Peele, Florence Vernon and Martha Kreem.

Visitation will take place at Tarboro First Baptist Church at 1 pm, Saturday, July 27. A memorial service will be held immediately following at 2 pm at the church with the Reverend John Rosal officiating. Entombment at Edgecombe Memorial Park Mausoleum will immediately follow the funeral service.