Gayle Arnold Champion, 79 years old, wife of Clifton Allen Champion, of Creedmoor, NC, passed away on Thursday, October 30, 2025, at home from complications of pancreatic cancer and Alzheimer's. Gayle had been surrounded for weeks by her son Jeffrey Alan Champion; sister Paulette Arnold; best friends Bobby and Wanda Temple; Aunt Imogene Bailey Keith; and her steadfast friends. Her husband of 59 years, Clifton; daughter, Amy Katharine Champion; and parents, Paul and Hazel Keith Arnold, welcomed her to Heaven.

Funeral services will be held Sunday, November 2, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at Sossamon Funeral Home Chapel of Creedmoor. Reverend Dan Hill will officiate. Burial will follow at Carolina Memorial Gardens.

Gayle was born on May 3, 1946, in Henderson, NC, the first of two daughters. Gayle was a lifelong member of Fellowship Baptist Church where, beginning as a teenager, she played the piano for services and accompanied the Men's Quartet. She was valedictorian of her South Granville High School class and graduated from Croft Business College. She began her career at IBM in the Research Triangle Park and over 30 years rose to executive secretary to the plant manager. After her retirement there, she worked at Wake Medical Center Foundation in Raleigh for several years.

Of all their accomplishments, Gayle and Clifton were most proud of their children, Jeff and Amy, both of whom were outstanding students, musicians and athletes at South Granville. Gayle documented their accomplishments with albums of photos and certificates and she and Cliff attended parades, games, and performances and were active as Booster parents.

Gayle led Bible study for many years at the NC Correctional Institution for Women in Raleigh. She and Cliff were very active in North Carolina Baptists on Mission. They served on disaster relief and recovery projects in NC and the Southeastern US and helped with church builds in NC, Mississippi, Alaska, Montana and Germany. With the Temples they participated in several International Missions in Honduras and Germany to build churches and water systems. They also enjoyed traveling to national parks and scenic locations across the US.

The family will receive friends Sunday, November 2, 2025, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at Sossamon Funeral Home of Creedmoor.

To honor Gayle and Clifton, donations to the Baptist Men in Action Fund at First Baptist Church of Butner would be much appreciated.

Acknowledgements
The Family of Gayle Champion would like to thank her caregivers – Sandra Royster, Darcy Jackson, Beth Boisvert, Liberty Home Care and Hospice—and you for your gifts of kindness, food, and prayers during this time in our life.

Arrangements are by Sossamon Funeral Home of Creedmoor. Online condolences may be made at www.sossamonfuneralhome.com.