Beatrice Hair

Beatrice Hair, 60, of Oak Island, NC and Salisbury, NC, passed away at her beloved beach home on Monday, December 29, 2025, following a time of declining health.

Beatrice Hair was a beloved wife, sister and aunt whose life was defined by love, curiosity and an extraordinary ability to connect with people, animals and the world around her.

Beatrice was born in Lima, Peru, on February 15, 1965, and grew up in Lisbon, Portugal.  She was one of four children to John Henry Dombrowski and the late Ilke Ramstetter Dombrowski. In addition to her mother, she was preceded in death by her younger sister, Christina Dombrowski, and two special aunts, Eleanor Rowe and Tessa Breitshaft.

Beatrice adored her husband Randy Hair, and he adored her in equal measure.

Their partnership was one of deep affection, shared passions, and mutual respect, and it stood at the center of her life.

Following high school, Beatrice graduated from Wake Forest University in 1987, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education with a minor in Health and Sports Science. She has a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Phoenix in 2004.

Her career started in 1987 and resulted in eight years teaching at an elementary school in Salisbury, North Carolina. In 1994, she was the recipient of the CHADD award for excellence with children with Attention Deficit Disorder. She also was awarded the Excellence in Teaching from the Rowan-Salisbury School Board.

A passionate and gifted educator, Beatrice founded and directed the Salisbury Tutoring Academy. LTD which she led for more than 30 years. Through her vision and dedication, she helped over 24,000 students achieve documented transformations to discover confidence in learning and belief in themselves.

In 2010 she was awarded the title of Small Businessperson of the Year for North Carolina by The United States Small Business Administration.  In recognition of her entrepreneurial spirit and impact she was honored, and met President Barack Obama during a ceremony at the White House Rose Garden.

Beatrice possessed the rare gift for connection. Whether engaging with children, colleagues or strangers, she formed meaningful relationships with ease. This extended even to the extraordinary - over the course of her life she met and connected with numerous movie celebrities, three US presidents, and Pope John Paul II; each encounter reflecting her warmth, curiosity, and openness to the world.

Nature was her sanctuary. Deeply attuned to the wild creatures surrounding her home on Oak Island, Beatrice shared her daily life with owls and hawks that regularly landed on her deck, turtles that nested along the beach, and the Dolphins that swam beside her as she paddled on her board in the ocean just beyond her home. She found joy in long walks and bike rides along the shore, and she generously shared her love of wildlife with others. Locally she built a community of more than 4,000 followers through her Turtle Facebook page and took special delight in engaging young children and watching baby turtles make their first journey to sea.

Athletics was another lifelong passion. Beatrice shared a love of soccer with her husband Randy and her brothers. She was a High School varsity soccer player and went on to found the first women's soccer team that eventually turned into a Varsity program at Wake Forest university. She was honored and recognized for this achievement during the Wake Forest Homecoming in 2017. Soccer remained a constant throughout her life, and she continued to play adult soccer until 2 years ago.

An accomplished writer, Beatrice, was a published author. Senator Elizabeth Dole endorsed her book on ADHD. She published a book on appetizing healthy cooking. Subjects that reflected both her intellect and her care for the well-being of others. Additionally, she received the Congressional Recognition Award from North Carolina Congressman, Howard Coble. She was also featured in the following magazines: Women Entrepreneur Magazine, Your Teen for Parents, New Yorker, Huffington Post, Wake Forest magazine, Charlotte Business Journal and the Rowan Business Magazine.

Surviving her are three siblings. Mrs. Angela Denton, Alex Dombrowski and wife Becky, Michael Dombrowski and wife Stacey; sister-in-law, Kim Williams; and beloved nieces and nephews, Madison Kisgen, David Denton, Benjamin Denton, Joseph Denton, Elizabeth Denton-Antonelli, Max Dombrowski, Henry Dombrowski, and Jacob Dombrowski. Great Uncle Woody Rowe, cousins, Ania Agardey, Cathy Eckel, Jampal Rowe, Tom Rowe, Karin Voglstaetter and Nikola Fuchs.

A Celebration of Beatrice's life is scheduled on Saturday, May 2 from 5-9:00.  A beachside remembrance will begin promptly at 5:00 at the Sellers Street beach access and then continue at the 801 Ocean Event Center beside the pier, at Oak Island. Her wish was for her dear friends and loved ones to gather and share happy memories of how her life interwove with their lives.

There will be a sit-down banquet leading up to sunset. Please kindly acknowledge your planned attendance before April 8th via email to: celebrate.beatrice@gmail.com

In lieu of flowers, the family asks in gratitude contributions be made to the “Beatrice RD Hair Athletic Scholarship” at Wake Forest University, honoring her enduring commitment to soccer, education, and the empowerment of young women.  Link: https://go.wfu.edu/beatricehair/

Online condolences may be sent to www.fulwoodfuneralservice.com.