Sheila Mary Balfour Dail Goodman died October 31, 2019 after a valiant battle with breast cancer.
She was born May 13, 1936 to British immigrants living on a farm on the Hoke County/Robeson County line. Napier Humphrey Goldie Balfour was a Scotsman from Edinburgh who served as an artillery sergeant with the American Expeditionary Force in World War I, then purchased a farm near Lumber Bridge. His bride, Victoria May Greenfield Balfour, from Weybridge, Surrey, England, had served as a governess in Europe and Hawaii before emigrating to the eastern U.S. Sheila grew up on Inverleith Farm, named for Inverleith House, where her Balfour great-grandfather and great-uncle had served as Regius Keepers of the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh.
After graduating from Hoke County High School in Raeford, she attended Meredith College, where she majored in social work and minored in religion. She graduated in 1958, married and settled in the Raleigh area, and gave birth to two sons – Sean Balfour in 1960 and Andrew Scot in 1962. Her first marriage ended in 1968, but she soon met Dr. Major M. Goodman, a professor in the Statistics Department at N.C. State University. They were married in August 1970.
She was active in her community. She spent several years teaching for a program that assisted youth in obtaining high school equivalency, and later served as director of the Wake County Guardian Ad Litem program. She also served for many years on the Raleigh Greenway Commission. She was active in several churches throughout her life, beginning with her beloved Lumber Bridge Presbyterian Church. After settling in Raleigh, she attended West Raleigh Presbyterian, Longview Methodist, Milner Presbyterian, and most recently, Trinity Presbyterian. She also had a gift for singing, participating in her church choirs and as a member of the Capital Area Community Chorus and the Cardinal Singers. She also traveled extensively with Major, who went on to become William Neal Reynolds Professor of Crop Science at N.C. State and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
She is survived by her husband, Dr. Major M. Goodman; her son, Sean Balfour Dail, and wife Maryann; her son, Andrew Scot Dail, and wife Robin; her grandchildren, Scot's son Josh and daughter Lindsey; her sister-in-law, Joan Balfour; her nephew, John Balfour, Jr., and wife Suzanne; and John and Suzanne's sons, Jonathan and Glenn.
The funeral was held November 2 at 2 p.m. at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 3120 N. New Hope Road in Raleigh. A graveside service was held November 3 at 3 p.m. at Lumber Bridge Presbyterian Church where she was buried beside her parents.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in her name to Trinity Presbyterian Church, 3120 N. New Hope Road, Raleigh, NC 27604 or to your favorite charity.
Online condolences may be made to www.bryan-leefuneralhome.com