Deidrick "Dee" Hart Gaskill

Deidrick “Dee” Hart Gaskill, age 98, passed away Saturday, September 10, 2022, at Pruitt Healthcare in Raleigh, NC.

Dee was born on September 2,1924 in Rocky Mount, NC to George and Annie Gaskill. Upon graduating from Rocky Mount High School, he honorably served his country as a corpsman in the US Navy during WWII. At the conclusion of the war, he went on to graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1951. He was a member of Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity. As a member of the US Navy Reserve, he was called back to active duty and stationed at Camp Lejeune during the Korean War. Returning to Rocky Mount, Dee found employment with Carolina Telephone & Telegraph. In April1959, Dee married Mabel Edwards from Bladenboro, NC and his job moved them to Fayetteville, NC. Two years later the family moved to Tarboro where they remained.

Dee gave much of his time to the community and served actively at Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church. He served as both an Elder and Deacon. He served as Cubmaster for Pack 49 and received many BSA awards for service to the Pack and East Carolina Council. He was the chapter secretary of TPA for many years and member of the Kiwanis Club Golden K. An avid gardener and fisherman, Dee loved golf, the outdoors, and hard work. He found respite at his cottage on the Pamlico River.

Mabel passed away in 1999 but Dee was fortunate to find a second love in Evangeline “Vangie” Cain Edwards. They married in 2001 and spent the next twenty-one years traveling, enjoying time together, and visiting their children. He became a member of Hayes Barton Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC that he and Vangie attended virtually every Sunday.

He is survived by his wife, Vangie Gaskill, his four children, Gay Lytton (John), Gilda Aita (Kevin), Kelly Gaskill (Toni), and Kemp Gaskill (Debora), his 10 grandchildren, Jackie Lytton, Walker Lytton, Wesley Lytton, Lina Aita, Alison Aita, Samantha Northey (Harrison), Fenner Gaskill, Cade Gaskill, Elizabeth Gaskill, and Emily Gaskill, and Vangie’s children Alan Edwards and Becca Edwards and grandchildren Hanna Edwards(Ally Veaner), Austin Edwards, Caroline Cavello (Nick) and Ashley Hanson (John).

Dee was preceded in death by his wife Mabel Gaskill, his sisters, Anzy Turner, and Oreole Turner, his brother, George Gaskill, and Vangie’s son, Jim Edwards, Queen Elizabeth II and his net fishing license.

A memorial service will be held at Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church on Thursday, September 15 at 2:00 pm followed immediately by a graveside service at Greenwood Cemetery. Memorial donations can be made to Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church, Hayes Barton Baptist Church or East Carolina Council, Boy Scouts of America.

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