Rebecca Duncan Currin Dickerson, beloved mother of Teresa Currin Kutteh of Statesville, N.C., and Rebecca Lynn Currin of Winston-Salem, N.C., passed into the presence of her Lord on March 19, 2025, at the age of 95.
She was affectionately called “Aunt Becky” or “Cookie” by those from nearby and faraway who knew and loved her. A woman of proud bearing, old-time charm, refined manners, a tender heart, and a deep love of family and community, Cookie lavished thoughtful attention on others with her smiling gaze and gentle wisdom born of a lifetime of service and neighborly engagement. She had a rich sense of humor and infected others with her “joie de vivre.” Her welcoming spirit brought joy to family and friends alike.
Cookie was a person of wide-ranging interests, with a mind keen to learn (she only read non-fiction!) and a heart ready to experience life and rejoice in familial and community relationships. She was deeply rooted in the traditions of her youth but also embraced the new and included everyone in her loving devotion.
She loved discovering new places and called herself “journey proud” in retirement, having travelled to all continents save Antarctica, and having spent a night in all fifty states. She also relished her visits to all presidential libraries in the U.S. Her traveling companions, especially her daughters and granddaughters, benefitted from her adventuresome spirit and willingness to travel to “uncharted waters.”
Cookie was born in Oxford, N.C., and graduated from Oxford High School and business school in Mars Hill. She was a member of Enon Baptist Church in Oxford, where she sang in the choir, was a member of the Women’s Missionary Union, and participated actively in many other church activities. Professionally, she worked as a Superior Court Reporter for North Carolina’s 9th Judicial District and Durham’s Federal Court; she was also a popular caterer, known especially for her pimento cheese, biscuits, and chicken salad.
Cookie had lived in Statesville for many years, allowing her to be close to her daughters and her growing family. She attended First Presbyterian Church. There she sang in the choir, participated in OWLS (Older Wiser Livelier Seniors, surely a perfect fit for a woman like her!), and joined in many other activities. Of special note is that Cookie graced church choirs with her voice from the age of 14 through the age of 90.
Among her civic activities in both Oxford and Statesville were the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution), the PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization), Women’s Clubs, and Book Clubs. Cookie was also an avid bridge player throughout her life, wherever she lived.
Cookie was an only child and was preceded in death by her parents, Kirk M. Duncan and Mamie Howell Duncan, and by her husbands Luther W. Currin and R. Gilbert Dickerson.
She is survived by her daughters Teresa Currin Kutteh (Costi) of Statesville and Rebecca Lynn Currin (Lee Ann Manning) of Winston-Salem; granddaughters Hanna Rebecca Kutteh of Asheville, Martha Kutteh Dacons (Dion) of Mouth of Wilson, Va., and Marguerite “Maggie” Gilbert Kutteh of Statesville; and great grandchildren Cameron Grace Dacons, Sophia Katheryn Dacons, and Jordan Currin Dacons of Mouth of Wilson, Va.
Her family is deeply grateful to Sarah Easton and to Brea Sherrill and her other staff members for their love and care. Also, they are grateful for the compassionate members of the Gordon Hospice House of Iredell County for their unflagging support and kindness.
A celebration of life service will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Statesville on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at 2 p.m. Immediately following, the family will host a reception at the Historic Sharpe House, 402 S. Center Street, Statesville.
A graveside service will take place on Saturday, March 29, 2025, at 2 p.m. at Enon Baptist Church (2298 Enon Road, Oxford, NC).
In lieu of flowers, the family invites memorials to the McGuffin Music Fund at First Presbyterian Church (125 N. Meeting Street, Statesville, NC 28677); to Enon Baptist Church (c/o Mike Adcock, 1515 Lewis Jones Road, Oxford, NC 27565); to Hospice and Palliative Care of Iredell (2347 Simonton Road, Statesville, NC 28635); or to the charity of the donor’s choice.
Troutman Funeral Home is honored to serve the Dickerson family.