Jacksonville -

LaRue Griffin Hambrick, aged 88, passed away at her home in Jacksonville, NC on Thursday, July 3rd 2025, surrounded by family. She was born in Nashville, NC in 1937 to Ollie & Rosa Griffin.

She lived there the first part of her life and graduated from Red Oak High School before attending Roanoke Bible College in Elizabeth City, NC. Her college education was cut short when she was injured in a car accident and returned home to recover. While home she met and later married Frank Hambrick, a Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune. After her move to Jacksonville, she became a superintendent of construction for Champion Developers, a Florida based building group that developed subdivisions in Jacksonville (McArthur Estates and Sherwood Forest) and in Havelock and Fayetteville.

In 1976 she opened LaRue Hambrick Realty which she operated until 2021. Often when she was out at a restaurant, a store, or even at the hospital someone would come up to her and say, "You sold me my first house." Which would always make her smile and say "Oh yeah. I remember. I sold you a house over on……." And usually got it right after all those years later.

In 1977, LaRue was the first woman elected president of the North Carolina Home Builders Association. She was active over the years in local organizations such as Onslow County Relay for Life. She had served on the foundation board at Onslow Memorial Hospital which helped open the Oncology/Radiology Center at the hospital and served on the Patient's Advocacy Committee. She also served on the local Board of First Citizen's Bank. LaRue was a longtime member of Enon Chapel Baptist Church.

In addition to her parents, LaRue was preceded in death by JW Matthews, Jimmy Griffin, and Jimmy and Ophelia Griffin. She is survived by a loving family that includes her fiancé, Lee Cullum and family; son, Oliver Hambrick and son-in-law, Andrew Hambrick; grandchildren, Jake and Gilroy Hambrick; and her furry companion, Minnie. She will also be missed by Mickie and Bonnie Matthews and family, Billy and Kathy Buck and family, Joanne Griffin and family, Robert & Susan Griffin and family, and many other family members in and around Nashville.

A service to celebrate and remember LaRue's life will be held at 2:00 pm, Monday, July 7, 2025 at Davis-Little Funerals, 2129 Lawrence Circle, Rocky Mount. The family will greet friends immediately following the service. Burial will take place at a later date in the Griffin Family Cemetery, Nashville.

Memorial contributions may be given in LaRue's memory to Onslow County Relay for Life #JBK4T6 PO Box 5003 Hagerstown, MD 21741