In Memory of My Mother

My dearest friends near and far, it is with a heart that is broken open that I share that my mom has left her physical body and is flying free now. Her time here was not always easy, but she certainly made the most of it by living a big and bold life. I will forever aspire to attain her level of strength and courage, and feel so fortunate that I had her for 43 years.

I wrote her obituary. It was a difficult but cathartic experience. It really helped me to see the whole of her life instead of just focusing on the last few years. My dad wanted me to post it here, a place where I’ve shared so much of myself and my family over the last 16 years, instead of on a memorial website or in the newspaper. I am so honored to memorialize her life in this post.

SALLY NADINE EDDINS: OCTOBER 29, 1951-JULY 31, 2026

Sally Nadine Eddins, 74, died peacefully on Friday, July 31, after facing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis for eight years with remarkable strength. Her husband of 48 years, Lewis, and her daughter, Jennifer, were at her bedside.

Sally was born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, on October 29, 1951, to parents Arthur and Addie Malone, and had two older brothers, Arthur and Michael. She spent her childhood living in various cities across the country and overseas, as her father, a West Point graduate, served as a lieutenant colonel in the Army. Tragically, she lost her mother to cardiac arrest when she was just five years old. She grew close to her aunt, Dot, her uncle, Ed, and her great aunt, Mama, and lived with them in Goldsboro, North Carolina for a time after her mother’s passing.

A graduate of Riverdale High School in New Orleans, Louisiana, Sally studied at N.C. State before completing her undergraduate degree at Georgia College, where she graduated magna cum laude. She later pursued a master’s degree in social work at the University of Georgia and dedicated her career to serving as a licensed clinical social worker. She was deeply proud of her work, holding roles in drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities and doing on-call work for Hospice. Sally spent 24 years of her career with the VA, where she made a significant impact in service to veterans. Notably, she helped open a 40-bed domiciliary residence for homeless veterans in Houston, Texas in 2008, and served as the facility’s director. The work reflected who she was, a person who cared deeply about people and showed up for them in their hardest moments. She closed out her working life in Fort Walton Beach and retired from the federal government in 2015.

Sally met her husband, Lewis, in 1977 in Hurricane, West Virginia. The two hit it off immediately and were married in 1979. Together, they built a marriage rooted in loyalty and strength, standing as a united front through every joy and every hardship life brought their way. They had two children, Jennifer and Will, and raised them in Dublin, Georgia, where Sally worked for the VA Hospital. Some of the family’s happiest memories were made during their annual summer vacations to the Destin–Fort Walton Beach area, a place that would one day become their home.

In retirement, Sally loved living at the beach. A lifelong nature lover, she cherished time outdoors. She enjoyed going on cruises with her husband, participating in garden club, serving in office positions and on various committees for her condo community, and spending time with her three grandchildren, Jaidyn, Kilynn, and Finn. She had a special love for dogs, especially the family’s golden retriever, Beau.

In 2018, Sally was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. She received a double lung transplant at Duke University Hospital in January 2022 — there is no cure for IPF, and the transplant was her only life-extending option. Life after transplant came with its own set of challenges, but Sally’s determination gave her four and a half more years with the people she loved. Throughout it all, Lewis was her steadfast caregiver, attending to her every need with unwavering devotion. Friends who knew her best describe her as courageous, spirited, and a fighter to the end.

In her final act of generosity, Sally was able to donate her corneas upon her passing. Organ donation held deep personal meaning for her, especially as someone who had herself received the gift of a lung transplant.

Sally was fun, smart, adventurous, and endlessly loving. She was a devoted mother, an adoring grandmother, and a loyal friend to all who knew her. She will be deeply missed.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Addie Malone; her brothers, Arthur and Michael Malone; her son, Will Eddins; and her father-in-law, Bill Eddins.

She is survived by her husband, Lewis Eddins; her daughter, Jennifer Eddins; her grandchildren, Jaidyn Eddins, Kilynn Eddins, and Finn Eddins-Bazemore; her mother-in-law, Anna Marie Eddins; and their beloved golden retriever, Beau.

A celebration of life will be held in Fort Walton Beach in September for close friends and family. Donations in Sally’s honor may be made to the Lung Transplant Director’s Fund at Duke Health, the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center in Fort Walton Beach, or the Triad Golden Retriever Rescue. Sally’s legacy can also be honored by registering to be an organ, eye and tissue donor.

The family wishes to thank the Lung Transplant Program staff at Duke Health, especially Dr. Michael Reynolds, as well as the staff at Fort Walton Beach–Destin Hospital for their thorough and compassionate end-of-life care, especially her nurses Joy and Amber.

Thank you for letting me share my beautiful mother with you.