Colleen Ling

August 1, 1928 - May 9, 2021
Colleen Ling

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Beloved mother, grandmother, aunt, and sister Colleen Milligan Ling, 92, of Fayetteville, NC, passed away on May 9th, 2021 at Trinity Grove nursing home in Wilmington, NC.

A memorial service will be held at First Baptist Church located at 201 Anderson Street in Fayetteville at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 5th. A committal of ashes will follow at Lafayette Memorial Park.

Colleen was born in Fayetteville on August 1, 1928 to Lillian Hall Milligan of Hallsboro, NC and Rich Milligan of Ash, NC. One of five children, she preferred climbing trees to playing with dolls, and looked up to her big sisters Beaddy and Mafalda. Colleen graduated from Fayetteville High School in 1946, after which she worked in personnel at the VA Hospital and in her free time loved performing in the Fayetteville Little Theater. Colleen married Howard George “Pete” Ling, Jr. of Akron, OH on April 12, 1953 at First Baptist Church in Fayetteville. The couple had four sons and were variously based at Fort Sill, OK, Fort Hood, TX, Hanau, Germany, Fort Campbell, KY, and Fort Bragg, NC. After resettling in Fayetteville, Colleen returned to work at the VA Hospital. She cherished her friends, was a voracious reader, and loved long walks – especially to the library – where she loved to spend an entire day reading. Colleen became a grandmother later in life and was affectionately dubbed Grandma Gummy Bears by her two adoring grandchildren. The consummate hostess, Colleen made every holiday dinner for her sons and their families well into her late eighties. She also enjoyed regular get-togethers with her siblings and their spouses; which they took turns hosting. Colleen’s high school classmates voted her Best All Around, and we think they got it right! She was dearly-loved and will be missed immensely. Colleen is preceded in death by her husband, Lt. Col. Howard George Ling, Jr., sons Howard George Ling III, Ph.D. and Christopher Hans Ling, Fletcher and Minnie Milligan, Mafalda and Ralph Langdon, Beaddy and H.B. Farrell.

Colleen is survived by sons Andrew Stuart Ling of Winston-Salem and Daniel Scott Ling of Wilmington, daughter-in-law Lia Kalom, grandchildren Annika Kalom Ling and Alexander Per Ling, as well as brother Ronnie Rich Milligan, DDS and Betty Milligan of Greenville, SC.

Please share memories and condolences with the family by clicking on the “Post a Condolence” tab below.

Wilmington Funeral & Cremation 1535 S. 41st St. Wilmington, NC 28403
910.791.9099


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  • May 10, 2021
    Linda Midwood McConatha says:
    Colleen was my mother’s next door neighbor for many years and Colleen was a great friend. She was especially good to my daughter, Lisa.