Obituary
Pembroke Decatur Gwaltney IV

Pembroke Decatur Gwaltney, IV, died peacefully on August, 24, 2023, after a courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease. Decatur, formerly of Smithfield, Virginia and most recently the Outer Banks of North Carolina, along with his wife, Norma Lee Stephenson Gwaltney, (deceased) lived in Manteo, NC, Farmville, NC, and Raleigh, NC. They were fortunate to be able to spend precious time with their children, grandchildren and great grandchild. Decatur was born In Newport News, VA, to Pembroke Decatur Gwaltney, III and Margaret Atwill Gwaltney. Decatur is survived by his brother, William Atwill Gwaltney of Smithfield, VA. He is also survived by three children, Virginia Gwaltney Mosley, Decatur Stephenson Gwaltney and Margaret Gwaltney Weaver and husband James Burgess Weaver. He is also survived by four Grandchildren, Jenna Gwaltney Sullivan and husband, Owen Perry Sullivan, and their daughter, Ruby Zala Sullivan, Meredith Gwaltney Arnold and husband Joshua Emmett Arnold, James Burgess Weaver, Jr. and Margaret Clay Weaver. Decatur attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and earned a BS in Industrial Engineering. Upon graduation, Decatur served his country in the Army and married his childhood sweetheart, Norma Lee Stephenson. He was a progressive thinker and a prolific reader. In Smithfield, he served on the Town Council, and truly believed in the gift of public education giving everyone a fair chance in life. Decatur and Norma Lee enjoyed 66 wonderful years together learning both the pleasure yachting and sportfishing boat building industries - tinkering with boats and “doctoring them up”. They also sang in the Trinity United Methodist Church choir as they shared a love for music. Decatur joined the family business, Gwaltney of Smithfield (subsequently Gwaltney, Inc.) One of his proudest achievements at the meat packing company was his contribution to designing and improving the efficiency of the cured meat production division and facility. Upon his retirement from Gwaltney, Inc., in 1967, the family moved to Manteo, NC and Decatur fulfilled his dream of starting a boat building business. Being an innovator, Decatur was the first boatbuilder in the United States to construct an offshore sport fishing hull upside down on a jig using one-off composite fiberglass construction. This method is still used today with modern variations, by top custom boatbuilders in the area and up and down the East Coast from Maine to Florida. Gwaltney Boats’ innovations and experimentation helped further the marine industry's technology with more efficient hull weight to horsepower ratios during construction. Decatur spent many happy hours deep in the details of the design and execution of “speed and efficiency” - mainly to reach the Gulf Stream more efficiently and win the race back to the dock. He did love to go fast in a boat! Being an Engineer, Decatur was inquisitive about new technology and wanted to be the first to try things out. In 1985 he hounded the Dell computer support employees to the point where they called him by name when they answered his calls. When the Apple Macintosh SE computer debuted, he made sure the family had one so he could “experiment” with this new technology, too. In addition to his progressive ideas, Decatur possessed a wicked sense of humor; he was sharp-witted, analytical, and generous, using these assets to deter a tense moment when necessary. He had a knack for unorthodox repairs and taught his children to think through how things work. This spirit was evidenced by one of his mantras, “Just get on with it." The family will hold a private Celebration of Decatur’s Life service at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Dare County BoatBuilders Foundation which is supported by local and national businesses and individuals who believe that everyone should have the chance to further their education beyond high school. Each year, the foundation will award financial aide and assistance to those who apply and qualify. Information can be found at www.dcbbf.org.