Helen High Dusenbury

Helen High Dusenbury, 93, of Sanford, North Carolina, passed peacefully on December 26, 2022.

She is survived by her son, David Philip Dusenbury and his wife Renee, of Sanford.

She was preceded in death by her eldest son Gerald Bobbitt Dusenbury (1981), her husband of 53 years Philip E. Dusenbury (2006), and her three brothers, PFC George Gerald High (1945), Dr. John Thomas High (1994), and Dr. Donald Ray High (2014).

She was born on August 10, 1929 in Red Oak, NC to George High and Vena Bobbitt High, and raised there and in nearby Rocky Mount, NC. She graduated from Women's College in Greensboro (now UNC-Greensboro) in 1951 majoring in home economics. After graduation, she moved to Sanford to begin her teaching career, and met her future husband, who had come to Sanford the same year to work as a Certified Public Accountant. They were married in 1953, and enjoyed 53 years of marriage.

Helen was a beloved home-ec teacher at Sanford Central, later Lee County Senior High, teaching many students the skills necessary for daily living – foods and nutrition, child development, household management, and sewing. She enjoyed running into her previous students, often hearing stories of their years-ago frustrations of trying to complete a sewing project for her class, or of the mess they had made out of a particular cooking assignment. She took special joy in learning that some past students still used, and held special in their family traditions, one recipe or another that she had shared with them in class.

In her more active years, she was a faithful and active member of Saint Luke United Methodist Church; a member and secretary of the Suzanne Reeves Literary Club; and participated in many social events.

The family would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the caring, dedicated staff at Parkview Retirement Village for their excellent care which enhanced and enriched her final years.

Service will be held at Saint Luke United Methodist Church in Sanford, NC at 2 p.m. on Tuesday January 3, 2023. Burial will follow the service, at Buffalo Cemetery. Visitation will be held prior to the service beginning at 1 p.m. in the church parlor.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to one of her favored charities, Crossnore Communities for Children, www.crossnore.org or the charity of your choice.