Roseboro,

Willa Gray Long, 84, 2368 Penny Tew Mill Road, passed away Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.

Funeral service will be held at 3 PM, Monday, December 18th at Calvary Tabernacle Pentecostal Freewill Baptist Church with Michael Boyette, Rev. Chris Bulter and Rev. Reece Fairfax officiating.  The family will receive friends at the church one hour before the service and at other times at the home of her sister, Patricia Peterson, at 2471 Feedmill Road, Roseboro.  Interment will follow in the church cemetery. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by husbands John Thornton and Wilkie Long and children Robert Thornton, Kenneth Thornton and Shirley Farris and brothers Johnny and Donnie Tew.

Willa, born July 24, 1939 in Sampson County, was the daughter of the late Charlie Mason Tew and Ester Mae Warren Tew. She was a homemaker and a member of Calvary Pentecostal Freewill Baptist Church. 

Survivors include: sons, John Thornton, Sr. (Anna), James Thornton; grandchildren, Dana Canady, John Thornton, Melissa Thornton, Ashley Thornton, Candice Thornton, Jacob Thornton, Katie Thornton, and McKalea Claxton; great-grandchildren, Jesus Resendiz, Hannan Resendiz, Miguel Resendiz, Lynn Jacobs, Cameron Durttle, Lucas Thornton, Alexis Thornton, and Jayda Gray; great-great grandchild, Natayla Resendiz; siblings, Doris Baucom, Pat Peterson, Gail Hilton.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.crumpler-honeycutt.com.