ZEBULON--Emma Jean Pace Pippin, 92, died Sunday, September 23, 2018. Emma Jean Pace Pippin was born in Wake County to the late Percy Page Pace and Middie Lucille Green Pace. She graduated from Duke University in 1946 and, following her passion, spent a long career educating the students of Laurinburg, Middlesex, Wakelon, and Zebulon High Schools in English. Emma Jean was immensely dedicated to her faith at Wakefield Central Baptist Church and was proud to serve in many leadership roles over the years including Woman's Missionary Union director and choir director. Emma Jean was preceded in death by her loving and devoted husband, Harold Edmond Pippin, and her great-grandchildren, Maxwell Thomas Yeazel and Helen Catherine Yeazel.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 pm Friday, September 28, at Wakefield Central Baptist Church in Zebulon, North Carolina, with the Rev. Keith Wagner and Dr. Mike Boone officiating. Burial will follow in Gethsemane Memorial Gardens

She is survived by her three children, Mary Lou Murphy (Harold) of Louisburg, Harold Edmond (Eddie) Pippin Jr. (Ginger) of Myrtle Beach, SC, and Nancy Jean Ballard (Steve) of Zebulon; and her grandchildren, Melissa Murphy Yeazel (Bryan), Rebeccah Pippin-Rayfield (Tony), Melanie Pippin, Lauren Massey (Melissa), Josh Ballard, and Megan Ballard, and her great-grandchildren, Austin Harden, Brianna Nelms, TJ Rayfield, Jeslyn McKenzie, Dallas McKenzie, Jeremy Nelms, Colin Yeazel, and Reid Yeazel.

The family would like to express their sincere gratitude and appreciation to the staff at Avendelle Assisted Living on Lazy River in Raleigh and to Heartland Hospice of Raleigh.

The family will graciously accept flowers or memorial contributions may be made to Wakefield Central Baptist Church Mission Fund, 308 Proctor St., Zebulon, NC 27597.

The family will receive friends from 6-8:00 pm Thursday at Strickland Funeral Home, 211 W. Third Street, Wendell, and other times at her home in Zebulon.