Ethel Cornelia Sexton Hyatt

Ethel Cornelia Sexton Hyatt, 96, died peacefully on Friday at Aston Park Health Care Center in Asheville. She was the youngest daughter and last surviving member of her large family, and we can only imagine the reunion that is taking place in heaven! She was born in Buncombe County in 1923, one of nine children of the late Charles and Mary Elizabeth Shetley Sexton. Her roots went deep; her ancestors arrived in the colonies in the 1600’s, fought in every war, and eventually migrated down the Great Wagon Road to settle in Madison County, NC and eastern Tennessee in the 1700’s. Like many women in the Greatest Generation, she left her hometown during World War II to work in the factories of the Northeast. After the war ended, she left Baltimore and returned home to spend the remainder of her life in Asheville. She was married to the late Roy Hyatt for 55 years. They met at a dance in Asheville in 1945, and he asked a friend to introduce him to “that tall, pretty girl”. They were married a few months later. Roy and his brother JC Hyatt taught her to play golf, and she never looked back. Golf became her passion, and she played, and played well, becoming a fixture on the greens at the Beaver Lake Golf Course for many years. Ethel was funny and friendly and had a laugh you could never forget. She played basketball in high school, loved animals and chocolate, collected owls, sang in the choir at Trinity Baptist Church, and adored her family. Her devoted caregivers included her nephew and his wife, Ralph Jr. and Muzette Sexton, and niece Sarah Capps. She was well cared for by the staff at Aston Park, and the family thanks them for their devotion, especially during the last few days. She was preceded in death by sisters Henrietta and Evelyn, and brothers Paul, Perry, Leroy, Ralph Sr., Raymond, and Frank. Survivors include a host of nieces and nephews and extended family. Graveside services will be held at 2 PM Sunday, May 24, 2020, at Green Hills Cemetery with her nephew, Rev. Dr. Ralph Sexton, Jr. and Pastor Allen Rash officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Mrs. Hyatt’s memory to: Trinity Baptist Church, 216 Shelburne Road, Asheville, NC 28806.