Rachel Harbour Starling

Rachel Harbour Starling, age 90, went to be with the Lord on February 18, 2018, at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro.

A funeral service will be held at 2 PM on Wednesday, February 21st, at Fair Funeral Home Chapel with burial to follow in Mt. View Cemetery in Ridgeway, VA.  The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service (1 - 2 PM) at Fair Funeral Home.

Mrs. Starling was born as a Valentine baby in 1928 to The Reverend J. D. and Victoria Harbour of Patrick County, VA.  As a child she moved with her family to Henry County where she met John Anderson Starling at Bethel Methodist Church.  After she graduated from Ridgeway High School in 1949, she married him and went to work for DuPont, Inc. in 1951.  They had identical twin daughters, Debra and Donna, in 1955.  After serving as a homemaker and a helpmate to her farmer husband, Rachel became a saleswoman for Cavalier Advertising Service and later started her own business, Starling Advertising Service.  After selling that business, she started and operated Rachel's Advertising Specialties.  Overall, she worked in sales for 32 years.  Later she and her husband owned and operated Morgan Ford Mobile Home Park in Ridgeway.  They also owned a number of rental houses before his death in 1997.  Afterward, Rachel continued working in real estate, enjoying fixing up houses and, many times, selling them.  Always a go-getter, she also participated in various community groups in Eden, including garden clubs and the Golden Age Club and with her daughter, Debra, a cancer support group.  In addition, she led a successful campaign to change the mail route where she lived from Leaksville, NC to Ridgeway, VA.  She was proud to serve as a jurist in Henry County Court and was honored to receive a certificate for her service in the Western District Court of Virginia.  Along the way she also volunteered for the March of Dimes.  Although she never really retired, she did manage to spend some good times with friends at Hardee's and to collect jewelry and antiques.  She also enjoyed working in her yard, especially with flowers.  She rarely went anywhere in the area without being recognized by someone she knew;  her friends and family connections, her advertising work, or her real estate activities.  Rachel was a long time member of Bethel United Methodist Church in Ridgeway, VA, where she served as a Sunday School teacher, as chair of the Pastor Parish Relations Committee, as a member of the United Methodist Women's group, and as the first woman trustee.  She was also an affiliate member of Leaksville United Methodist Church.

She is survived by her daughters, the Reverend Debra S. Watson and husband, Andy and Dr. Donna S. Crowe and husband, John;  two grandsons, David Anderson Crowe and James Marshall Crowe;  brother Bain Harbour;  sister, Anne Young;  and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, Rachel was preceded in death by her husband, John Anderson Starling  and by 12 brothers and sisters.

The family offers special thanks to Liz Hurd, her God-sent caregiver.

Flowers are appreciated or memorial contributions may be made to Leaksville United Methodist Church, 603 Henry Street, Eden, NC  27288 or to the American Cancer Society, 7027 Albert Pick Rd, Greensboro, NC 27409

Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.fairfuneralhome.com