Castle Hayne – Gloria Cooke Stephenson, age 81, passed away on Saturday, April 1, 2023, in Novant Health Hospital in Wilmington. Born, December 2, 1941, in Bladen County, she was the daughter of the late Velma and Cennie Cooke. She is preceded in death by her husband, Jerry Joe Stephenson. Gloria was a member of First Baptist Church in Smithfield. She was a very caring and charitable person, always giving and supporting charities and missions. She was a spry 81-year-old and never showed her age. Gloria loved shopping, but most of all she loved spending time with her grandsons. She was a very loving mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother. She will be missed by all her family and friends.

A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. in Sunset Memorial Park with Rev. Jonathan Hayes officiating and soloist, Rev. Amanda Bunce.

She is survived by her daughters, Beverly Hester Hardee (Jim Hardee) of Wrightsville Beach and Karen Pope (Michael Pope) of White Lake, step-daughter, Leah Wallace (Blake Wallace) of Wallace, step-son, Jay Stephenson (Shannon Stephenson) of Kansas; siblings, Johnsie Lennon of Clarkton, Brenda Stansbury of Calabash, Phyllis Miller (Dick Miller) of Clarkton and Gary Cooke (Sally Cooke) of Abbeville, SC; grandchildren, Fisher and Jackson Hardee, Joseph and Joshua Pope, Georgia Smith (Jake Smith), Joe Wallace, Wells Wallace, great- grandchildren, Parker and Brady Smith.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to St. Jude's Children's Hospital at 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online at, www.stjude.org .