Gloria Brown Creech

Gloria Brown Creech, age 70, of Selma, passed away on March 12, 2026, after a long battle with numerous health problems. Born in Johnston County on April 1, 1955, to the late Johnnie Barden Brown and Pearl Thompson Brown, she was welcomed as the daughter her parents had long hoped for after two sons. Her mother wanted to name her Pride and Joy, but they settled on Gloria Gail. Most friends knew her affectionately as “Doodle.”

A 1973 graduate of Smithfield-Selma Senior High School, Gloria attended Hardbarger Business College in Raleigh before beginning a career at Nationwide Insurance, where she worked until her retirement. She found joy in cooking, sewing, quilting, and various crafts, taking great pride in her handiwork. She loved spending time at the beach and on camping trips. A longtime member of Branch Chapel Free Will Baptist Church, she sang in the choir with deep devotion before her health declined. Throughout her life, she also served as a devoted caregiver and companion to her mother and her brother Jerry during their own health challenges.

Later in life, Gloria resided at Autumn Home Care in Selma and more recently at The Indigo at Pikeville, where she greeted everyone with a warm and loving hug and participated happily in the activities offered there. She faced life with remarkable resiliency, surviving cancer twice and enduring other health difficulties with grace and quiet confidence. Even as dementia gradually affected her memory, her loving spirit and awareness of those around her remained strong.

She is survived by her loving daughter, April Creech Wilkinson, and son-in-law, Jamey, of Kenly; her cherished granddaughter, Addison Gail Wilkinson, of Kenly; her faithful brother, Craig Olive, of Clayton; and siblings Angela Olive, James Phillip “Tip” Olive, Martin “Fuzzy” Olive, and Terry Ann Olive Nichols, along with several nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her beloved K-9 companion, Barden. Gloria was preceded in death by her husband, Randy Creech; brothers Wayne, Dennis, Danny, and Jerry Brown, Bill and Ronnie Olive; and sisters Brenda Brown Dixon, Betty Lee Olive Carroll, and Cathy Daniels.