Vera Doris Locklear Malcolm died at her lifelong home on September 30, 2024, surrounded by her family.

Born on October 18, 1934 to Annie Lizzie Oxendine Locklear and Rev. Clarence E. Locklear, Mrs. Malcolm was also preceded in death by her husband, J.T. Malcolm, and a son, Jonathan D. Malcolm. She is survived by her daughters, Paula A. (Bill) Shelton of Pinehurst, NC and Rebecca Malcolm Strongbow of St. Petersburg, FL, and by her sons, Timothy A. Locklear of Lumberton, NC, David Malcolm of Bluefield, WV, James D. (Jackie) Malcolm of Durham, NC, Joseph E. Malcolm of Pembroke, NC, Joshua D. (Meloria) Malcolm of Pembroke, NC, and Caleb A. (Kyle) Malcolm of Lumberton, NC, as well as 18 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Malcolm received an undergraduate degree from then, Pembroke State College (Pembroke, NC) where she played cornet for and sang alto with a student musical group known as the Singers & Swingers. She went on to receive a graduate degree from Appalachian State University (Boone, NC).

Mrs. Malcolm was a retired teacher who served with the Public Schools of Robeson County (NC) and, at the beginning of her teaching career, with Hoke County Schools (NC). During her almost three decades of teaching music and reading, she touched students at numerous schools to include: Hawkeye, Scurlock, Hilly Branch, Purvis, Southside Ashpole, R.B. Dean, Pembroke and Oxendine elementary schools as well as South Robeson. Often, she would shuttle between up to seven schools in a week. She transported the instruments and music in her personal car to ensure students at each school had the same opportunities. Mrs. Malcolm was adamant that all the children in her community be given the opportunity to be exposed to the possibilities found in music.

She was a long-time pianist/organist of over 50 years for Mt. Olive Pentecostal Holiness Church (Pembroke, NC). While at Mt. Olive PHC, she was a co-founder of and pianist/singer for the Mt. Olive Trio, a gospel group that performed throughout Robeson County, and other areas in Southeastern North Carolina. Prior to her death, Mrs. Malcolm returned to her spiritual home of Berea Baptist Church (Pembroke, NC), where her parents had been charter members, and rejoined the church choir.

Her willingness to offer her musical talents prompted her to play the piano for and sing with other gospel and civic groups, including the Robeson Civic Chorale (Lumberton, NC), Pembroke Woman’s Choir, Pembroke Men’s Choir, the Cumberland Oratorio Singers, and Stars and Stripes. She is also remembered as having performed as a soloist at numerous weddings and funerals and other religious services. For many summers and as long as she was able to travel, she returned to her alma mater, Appalachian State, to serve as a music camp counselor for youth. Whether at holiday cantatas, as an impromptu singer, or a fill-in pianist at many churches, she was always a dedicated musician. Practices, rehearsals, Sunday service, Wednesday service, special groups, Mrs. Malcolm’s demanding and unwavering high expectations brought out the very best in all the groups she sang or played with and inspired generations to love and respect music. She was a long-time member of the UNC Pembroke Friends of the Library and for many decades was often seated on the front row at most performances at the UNC Pembroke Givens Performing Arts Center.

A champion of being heard and fairly represented, she was elected by her church and served on Constitution Assembly that met from 1993-94 which drafted the original Constitution of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.

The Funeral for Mrs. Vera Doris Locklear Malcolm will be held on October 4, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. at Berea Baptist Church, 120 N. Odum St., in Pembroke, NC. Visitation will take place that same day in the church sanctuary and will start at 1pm. Interment will take place in the Berea Baptist Church cemetery, located behind the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family would suggest donations be made to the J.T. and Vera Doris Locklear Malcolm Endowed scholarship at UNC Pembroke which supports students from Robeson, Hoke, Bladen, Columbus or Scotland Counties majoring in Education (music or reading) or those seeking to become commissioned officers in the U.S. Army or U.S. Air Force.