Obituary of Norma Castles

IRMO—A graveside service for Norma Darby Castles, 90, of Irmo will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, August 6, 2012 in Bush River Memorial Gardens. Officiating will be The Reverend Dick Holliday. The family will meet with friends at the graveside. Memorials may be made in her honor to The Lodge at Ascension Assisted Living, 7142 Woodrow Street, Irmo, SC 29063. Thompson Funeral Home of Lexington is assisting the family. Mrs. Castles, beloved wife of the late Joe Blair Castles, passed away on Friday, August 3, 2012. Born in Winnsboro, she was the daughter of the late John Clarence Darby and Agnes Gibbons Darby. She graduated from Mt. Zion Institute in Winnsboro and attended Lander College. She enjoyed cooking and was an avid Bridge player. She faithfully gave her time teaching in Richland 2, Richland-Lexington 5, Dentsville High, Spring Valley High and Irmo High School prior to her retirement. Surviving are her daughters, Susan Castles Kennedy of Kingstree and Blaire Castles Smoak (Gil) of Columbia; son, Joe Blair Castles, Jr. (Patricia) of Villa Rica, GA; grandchildren, Laura Barrow Kennedy, Kathryn Blair Kennedy, Dr. J.B. Castles III " Trey" (Liz) and Darby Castles Jones (Craig); six great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, a sister and a son-in-law, Curtis Kennedy.