Gaye Church Rowland

Gaye Church Rowland, 77, of Wilmington, NC left us peacefully on December 16th at Duke Hospital in Durham, NC with her family present. A beloved wife, mother and grandmother she will always be remembered for her kindness, and her caring and cheerful attitude. 

After her birth on September 13, 1947, in Newark, NJ the family moved to Wilmington, DE where she spent her childhood years. She is the daughter of Arthur and Isabel Church, and sister to brothers Art and Kevin. 

She attended Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, PA then joined National Airlines in Miami, FL as a flight attendant and later became a Pan AM attendant stationed in Los Angeles, CA. Her job gave her a lifetime love of travel and she was especially fond of her frequent trips to Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo. While with the airlines she met her future husband, and they were married on September 1, 1979. 

Gaye, her husband Tom, and daughter Lindsay lived for many years in Connecticut, also living for a few years in San Diego, CA and Paris, France before moving to North Carolina in 2003. 

After 17 years of flying, she left the airlines to be a full-time mom devoting her life to family, friends and local charities. Gaye was a fixture at her daughter’s schools, volunteering for any task needed. She was also an avid basketball fan following the UCONN women and, after moving to Wilmington, Gaye rarely missed a UNCW Seahawks game. She was a member of Wrightsville Beach United Methodist Church and the Lydia Circle. 

Gaye is survived by her husband, Tom, daughter Lindsay Osman (Mike), granddaughters Isabel and Piper Osman, and brothers Art and Kevin. 

A celebration of life will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, January 3, 2025, at Wrightsville Beach United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to NourishNC.