Marva (White) Belk arrived in our world on October 7, 1949 in a small hospital in Mooresville, NC.  

Marva was a kind, generous, and gracious Lady.  She was a dear friend to all who knew her.  Everyone remembers her gentle and giving nature.  She was a petite lady whom we all knew could be fearless when her family and friends needed her.

Marva and Eddie were the "love of each other's life" and best friends.  They met at the beginning of tenth grade English class and were together throughout South Rowan High School.  After graduation each pursued their respective studies apart in Charlotte and Raleigh for the next year.  They married the next summer on September 8, 1968.  They moved three days later to Cary, NC, and into their used mobile home in "McSwain's Mobile Estates"...this would be home for the next six years.  The next day Eddie dug into the remaining four years of his architectural studies at N.C. State School of Design.  Their second day at home in Cary, Marva took a job as a bookkeeper at J.C. Penney at North Hills Mall in Raleigh.  The foundation was now in place for the rest of their life to come.

For the next half century, Marva and Eddie embraced their life together.  They supported each other, fought through struggles together and shared many happy, joyous times.  Two years out of NC State, Marva and Eddie moved to Charlotte.  There Eddie worked as an architect with Ferebee, Walters, and Associates, and Marva handled bookkeeping for Carmel Country Club.  Here they grew their family with the birth of two daughters ... Stephanie Heather and Autumn Mist.  As they had planned, Marva retired and dedicated her life to raising their daughters.  Soon Eddie found a great wooded lot in the Mammoth Oaks neighborhood and over the next year they built their new home.  A few years later, with Marva's nervous but unwavering support, Eddie started his own architectural practice.  

But life has surprises ... three months later, after several doctor misdiagnoses, Eddie had to take Marva through the emergency room on a Sunday night into Charlotte Memorial Hospital.  Marva spent the next six weeks in a life threatening battle with severe pancreatitis.  Four weeks were spent getting well enough for surgery.  The day after Marva went into the hospital, Heather started the first day of first grade.  Eddie and Heather made a photo of her walking into Lansdowne Elementary School so Marva could share in the moment.  With much help from family and friends, Eddie was able to be by Marva's side for her brave, strong battle.  MARVA WON!  She returned home weak for many months but happy to be back raising her girls.

Several years later, all of Eddie's work was developing in Durham, NC.  Marva, Eddie, and the girls moved into an apartment so Heather and Autumn could begin fourth and first grades at Eno Valley Elementary.  For the next year they would visit their home and friends in Charlotte on weekends while settling into Durham.  Eddie found a fire damaged house on a good, wooded large lot in an established neighborhood, and they started building their Durham home.  Work grew and Heather and Autumn grew while finishing Durham schools.  With the girls grown, Marva unretired and became a bookkeeper at a local furniture store.  She later returned to doing payroll and taxes for Belk Architecture.  Her girls were off to college at Sweet Briar College in Virginia and at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  Marriage and graduate school followed for the girls and more travel for Marva and Eddie.  Life held another surprise ... Eddie was diagnosed with kidney cancer.  With Marva by his side every day through surgery at UNC Hospital and six weeks recovery at home, Eddie did well.  Marva and Eddie once again, together, continued their life.  Heather and Autumn grew their careers and settled down in Hillsborough and Raleigh, NC.  Marva's grandchildren, Abilene, Benjamin, and Caitlin Wren were born, and Marva helped care for them during their early years.  A happy and full life continued!

Marva cherished her daughters, Stephanie Heather and Autumn Mist, and worked her whole life to be the best mother she could be for them.  She was immensely proud of the independent, strong, and lovely women they became!  Marva loved her grandchildren ... Abilene, Benjamin, and Caitlin Wren ... and she worked hard to help them enjoy their lives and prepare for their future.

Marva brought so very much into the world around her.  She brought a warm, comforting sunshine into gatherings of family and friends.  She brought a sharing glimmer as we watched fireflies float up from the grass down near the water at the lake house backyard, and geese fly in formation and glide down onto the late day calm tranquil waters of the cove.  She shared her appreciation of the family of lake turtles sunning on the edge of the boat ramp near the water and the mom turtle working her way up the hill in search of the perfect spot to lay her eggs.  Marva shared her warm smile at the end of many days as she enjoyed a family of "her" deer ambling out of our Durham backyard woods to enjoy dinner on our lawn with a new fawn in tow.  She shared an even bigger smile as two of "her" rabbits joined in the feast at our backyard salad bar.  Marva shared her excitement as "her" hummingbirds zipped in and out of her freshly loaded feeder.  Her eyes and smile told the whole world the wonder of butterflies as they lilted from flower to flower.  She glowed with warm love in the flickering light of the cauldron fire on a cool night as her hands helped a grandchild make the perfect s'more.  She awoke Eddie in the middle of the night to stand arm in arm amazed, watching the firefly frenzy as they rose from the leafy floor of our backyard woods and filled the full forest canopy.  Marva was a tranquil, calming presence while sitting on the back screened porch absorbing "her" frog orchestra.  She was an unlimited source of the world's greatest hugs!  She was, and still is, "her" Eddie's everything!  

Unfortunately, Life held another big surprise ... On March 1, 2024 Marva was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.  After sixty days in Duke Hospital and two heavy chemo treatments, AML was kicked into remission!  Marva continued her strong and courageous battle with AML for more than two years.  On Monday night March 23, 2026 at 10:28pm, Marva passed away in her Durham home.  Her husband, of more than fifty-seven years, Eddie, was by her side, holding her hand and sharing that he would love her forever.  Her daughters and her brother were with her in the days prior and were able to tell her they loved her and how much she meant to them.

Marva is survived by her husband Eddie of Durham, NC ... Her daughters Stephanie Heather Loter (Tom) of Hillsborough, NC and Autumn Mist Belk (John) of Raleigh, NC ... Her grandchildren Abilene Loter, Benjamin Loter and Caitlin Wren Loter of Hillsborough, NC ... Her brother Fred White, Jr. (Tonia) of China Grove, NC ... and her sisters-in-law Debbie Beam (Roy) of Salisbury, NC ... Connie Gilmore (Ronnie) of China Grove, NC ... and Phoebe Chester (Rick) of China Grove, NC.

Marva was predeceased by her parents Fred Esco White and Ethel Mae (Leaird) White of Rockwell, NC ... Her grandmother Ida Leaird of Rockwell, NC ... Eddie's parents George Locke Belk, Jr. and Rebecca Josephine (Sifford) Belk of China Grove, NC ... and her sister-in-law Billie (Sheets) White of China Grove, NC.

Aquamation Services have been provided by Endswell / A Modern Funeral Home of Hillsborough, NC.  A private, family goodbye service was held Thursday, March 26, 2026 at Endswell.  A celebration of Marva's wonderful life will be hosted by her family in the Fall of this year.  The celebration will be hosted at Marva's "Happy Place" ... their lake house on High Rock Lake in Salisbury, NC.  In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in Marva's Honor/Memory to Nazareth Child & Family Connection Children's home in Faith, NC and/or The Leukemia Research Foundation of Northfield, Illinois.