Dorothy "Dot" Mae Pressley Dills

Dorothy Mae Pressley (Dot) Dills, 89 of Fairview, NC. passed away March 15, 2025, at Aston Park Senior Care Center in Asheville, following an extended illness.

Dot was born in Haywood County on September 3, 1935, a daughter of the late Jess Rowe and Beatrice Kerley Pressley. She is also preceded in death by her husband of 52 years Charles (Dock) Dills; one grandson, Matthew Penland; one sister, Frances Frady and two brothers, Rowe and Roy Pressley.

She is survived by daughters, Joyce Penland (and husband Tim) of Eastanollee, GA. and Sandi Downey (and husband Kevin) of Fairview, NC; four grandchildren, Angie Adams of Toccoa, GA., Ryan Downey (Alisa) of Roanoke, VA., Ben Penland (Julie) of Charlotte, NC. and Aaron Downey of Fairview, NC; five great-grandchildren, Savannah Standridge (Tyler) of Toccoa, GA., Elizabeth Berry (Judah) of Eastanollee, GA., Emma Adams of Toccoa, GA., Cohen Downey of Roanoke, VA. and Tristan Downey of Dallas, NC and three great, great granddaughters, Charlotte, Maeve and Eileen Standridge of Toccoa, GA. She is also survived by a brother Raymond Pressley (Betty) and sisters Katherine LaMonica (John) and Virginia Buckner; sisters-in-law, Helen Pressley and Dorothy Jenkins along with numerous nieces and nephews.

Dot lived most of her adult life in Fairview, having raised her family on Wilson Road in a home overlooking what she considered the most beautiful valley in all of Western North Carolina. She worked for years at CP Clare in Fairview where she met Juanita Cunningham her lifelong “best” friend whom she dearly loved. She also worked at Eckerd Drug Store in East Asheville before working for many years as a teacher assistant at Fairview Elementary School.

A service honoring Dot’s life will be held at Fairview Baptist Church, where she was a faithful member, at 3:00 PM on Sunday, March 23, 2025. The family will receive friends at the church on Sunday from 2:00 until 3:00 PM. She will be laid to rest at Cane Creek Community Cemetery immediately following the funeral service.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that gifts be given in memory of Dot to the ongoing ministries of Fairview Baptist Church. There will be opportunity for making such gifts at the memorial service. Gifts should be made payable to Fairview Baptist Church and may also be sent in memory of Ms. Dills to the following mailing address: Memorial gift- Dorothy Dills, c/o Joyce Penland, PO Box 552, Fairview, NC 28730.

Groce Funeral Home’s Lake Julian team is assisting the family.