Harriett Covington Obituary
Harriett V. Thomas Covington, 87 of Mebane, died at her residence on July 2, 2025 following 4 years of declining health.
Harriett was born in York, SC on February 19, 1938 to Lindsay S. and Harriett Viola Chambers Thomas. Following graduation from Winthrop University with a degree in Elementary Education and a Religion minor, she moved to Mebane to become Director of Christian Education at Hawfields Presbyterian Church in 1959. It was there where she met her life partner, H. Neel Covington, to whom she was married for 50 years until his death in 2012.
Following several years at Hawfields Presbyterian, Harriett taught elementary grades at South Graham Elementary School for five years. She then devoted her time to raising her two boys and volunteering in the community.
Her desire to make her community a better place led her to become one of the first female members of the Hawfields Civitan Club in 1980. Over her nearly five decades of membership, she has served at least once in every leadership position at the club and area level, and was honored to serve as the District Governor for NC District East Civitan from 2001-2002. Her Civitan service garnered her many recognitions including District Honor Key, District Scholarship Fellow, District Civitan of the Year, District Civitan of the Decade, and the Distinguished Lifetime Service Award. She also served for many years on the Board of Directors for the Boy's and Girl's Homes of NC and was the District Civitan Chair for Boy's and Girl's Homes, one of the District's key focus areas. During her tenure, she helped raise nearly $1 million for Boy's and Girl's Homes. Her local service to Civitan has been honored in many ways, including having the walking track at the Hawfields Community Park named in her honor in 2023. For those who have ever been to the Hawfields Haunted Forest or any baseball or softball game, you are likely to have seen her working concessions or playing some other critical role.
Additionally, she was named a Civitan International Shropshire Scholarship Fellow, a Civitan International Research Center Fellow, a Civitan International Freedom Fellow, a Civitan International Good Citizenship Fellow, Junior Civitan Fellow, and her family was named Civitan International Family of the Year in 1985.
During her more than six decades as a member of Hawfields Presbyterian Church, she sang in the choir, taught Sunday School, and was very active in Presbyterian Women, in which she held Life Membership. The Hawfields Presbyterian Women honored her as Presbyterian Woman Emeritas in 2024 for her decades of dedication and passion to missions.
She is survived by "her greatest accomplishment in life", her sons, Tim (Doris) of Mebane, and their children and grandchildren, and Lee (Carol) of Winston-Salem and their children, and by her sister, Annie Thomas Bigham of Florence, SC, and by numerous in-laws, nieces and nephews, great nieces and great nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, H. Neel Covington, by her sisters Virginia T. Williams of Rock Hill, SC and Clara T. Thomasson of N. Augusta, SC and by her parents.
The funeral service will be conducted at Hawfields Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, July 8 at 2 PM by Rev. David Ealy. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends at Rich & Thompson Funeral Home in Graham on Monday, July 7 from 5-8 PM.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be sent to Hawfields Civitan Club for the Hawfields Community Park, 2115B South NC Highway 119, Mebane NC 27302, or to a worthy organization of your choice.
The family would like to express since thanks to Cassandra, Diane, Annette, Dawn and the many other professional caregivers who have assisted in Harriett's wonderful care these past 4+ years, allowing her to live out her final years in her chosen community with as much grace and dignity as possible. The family also expresses thanks to the wonderful team from Authoracare Collective, who have made Harriett's final months as comfortable as possible.
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