Winifred "Winnie" Theobald

July 17, 1926 - December 26, 2020

Winifred Theobald July 17, 1926 – December 26, 2020 It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Winifred “Winnie” Stratton Hickman Theobald, age 94, on December 26, 2020. Cherished wife, mother, grandmother and friend, she was born July 17, 1926 to Stephen and Ellen Jane Stratton in Badger’s Quay, Newfoundland. Descended from a long line of cod fisherman, she was raised in a loving home on the rocky shores of the north Atlantic, where icebergs and whales filled her ocean playground. In 1943 she met Charles Hickman, an American soldier based in Gander, Newfoundland during World War II. They married, and she emigrated to New Jersey where they lived for many years, happily raising their four children. Charles passed in 1987, and in 1991 Winnie married Allan Theobald and moved to coastal South Carolina. They enjoyed many active years in senior sports leagues before ultimately settling in Kernersville to live out their golden years. Winnie is predeceased by Charles and Allan, as well as by one son, Stephen Hickman. Winnie is survived by three children, Lorna Foster (Mike, with God), Chuck Hickman (Judy) and Eileen Hummer (Gary), eight grandchildren and their spouses, as well as many great and great-great grandchildren. Winnie’s extended family consists of beloved relatives in Newfoundland, the congregants of the First Presbyterian Church of Kernersville, and friends from around the world. And while it is with deep sadness that we announce Winnie’s passing, we equally take solace in the knowledge of her spirit’s heavenly reward. Winnie was a woman of deep faith, even as she never rested on claims of piety. She embodied the joy and sweetness to which many of us aspire, with a deep and abiding kindness that resonated quietly but forcefully across the long arc of her life. Her loving and infectious laugh lit up a room in a way that will be deeply missed, even as we know her eternal spirit will continue to shine on us ever so brightly. The family would like to extend a sincere and wholehearted thanks to the supportive and loving staff at Arbor Ridge Kernersville, to her ever-vigilant home care nurses, to the loyal Shepherd’s Center, to the selfless staff at Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home, and finally to the countless health care heroes who always supported her. Winnie will be laid to rest at Ocean County Memorial Park in Toms River, New Jersey. An in-person memorial service will be held in New Jersey later in 2021, as circumstances permit. In lieu of flowers, and in these trying times, the family encourages donations to any charity of your choosing.