Archived

Patrick Joseph Hennessey Sr.
Mr. Patrick Joseph Hennessey Sr., 48, of 251 Rembrandt Drive, Boone, died Monday, Feb. 1, 2009, at Watauga Medical Center.
He was born March 30, 1960 in Indianapolis, Ind., a son of the late Richard and Rosemary Ernst Hennessey.
Mr. Hennessey has lived in Blowing Rock for over 20 years and was the owner and founder of the original "Cheeseburgers in Paradise”. He also was a general contractor and moved to Miami to build a project. He just recently moved back to Blowing Rock and opened a new restaurant "Almost Worlds Famous Cheeseburgers." He loved to mingle with all the customers and you may have had him sit at your table and enjoyed a chat with him.
Patrick was loved and respected by many. We will miss him and are heartbroken with our loss. We would like to invite anyone who knew him to join us at the celebration of his new life with our Father in heaven. Please come and tell us all your wonderful memories.
Survivors include his son, Patrick J. Hennessey, Jr. of Boone; his fiancee, Diane Schnabel of the home; three brothers, Buddy Hennessey, John Hennessey, and Kevin Hennessey, all of Indianapolis, Ind.; and two sisters, Carol Carnes and Colleen Guimont, both of Indianapolis.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Maureen Hennessey.
A memorial service will be conducted Friday afternoon, Feb. 6, 2009, at 2:00 o'clock, at Hampton Funeral Home Chapel.
The family will receive friends Friday afternoon, following the memorial service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Liver Foundation, 2250 North Druid Hills Road, Atlanta, Ga. 30329.
Online condolences may be sent to the Hennessey family at www.hamptonfuneralservice.com.
Hampton Funeral and Cremation Service is in charge of the arrangements.

John Carlton ‘J.C.’ Pitts
Mr. John Carlton “J.C.” Pitts, 78, of Old Clayton Greene Road, Boone, died Tuesday evening, Feb. 3, 2009, at Watauga Medical Center.
He was born in Elizabethton, Tenn., a son of the late Oscar and Orpha Tester Pitts.
Mr. Pitts was a member of Poplar Grove Baptist Church and was retired from Colvard Oil Company where he worked as a manager. J. C. was a U.S. Army Veteran, having served during the Korean Conflict.
Surviving are his wife, Nancy B. Pitts; one son, Tommy Pitts; two daughters, Ann Welch and Cindy Hinshaw and husband, David, all of Boone; four sisters, Ruth Dotson and Ethel Hayes of Boone, Sarah Townsend of Lenoir, and Ruby Soper of Norfolk, Va.; and seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a son-in-law, Steve Welch; two sisters, Martha Carney and Helen Dotson; and one brother, Hubert Pitts.
Services will be conducted Friday afternoon at 1 o’clock at Poplar Grove Baptist Church. Officiating will be the Rev. Bryan Davis. The body will lie in state at the church from noon until 1 o’clock. Burial will follow in the Pitts Cemetery. The family will receive friends at Poplar Grove Baptist Church following the graveside service.
Flowers are accepted or memorials may be made to the Poplar Grove Baptist Church Building Fund, in care of Ann Welch, 214 Old Clayton Greene Road, Boone, N.C. 28607.
Online condolences may be sent to the Pitts family at austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com
Austin & Barnes Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the Pitts family.

Roberta Cooke Scarborough
Mrs. Roberta Estelle Cooke Scarborough, of Charlotte, N.C., died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009, in Liberty Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, following several years of declining health.
She was born in Valdese, N.C., on Feb. 17, 1929, to Ellis Doctor and Florence McDade Cooke.
Mrs. Scarborough was raised in Hickory, N.C., where she graduated from Hickory High School. She married Alton Kerr Scarborough in May, 1954. They established a home in Asheville, N.C. for several years before moving and settling in Charlotte, N.C., for the duration of her life.
She was known as “Robbie” by the many friends she established throughout her life. She was an active member at Commonwealth Baptist Church and then Shamrock Drive Baptist Church (currently Grace Crossing). Throughout the years, she taught several Sunday school classes and was a Girl Scout leader. Before her declining health, she enjoyed trips to beaches, to the mountains, and traveling with Christian Tours. She and her husband celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville in May of 2004.
Survivors include her husband, Al, of their home in Charlotte; two children, Jann Scarborough Graham, and husband, Robert, of Lake Junaluska, N.C., and Joel Bradford Scarborough, and wife, Barbara, of Blowing Rock, N.C.; two grandchildren, Jacob Bradford Scarborough of Blowing Rock and Emily Anne Scarborough, of Boone; four step-grandchildren, Wike Graham of Hendersonville, Kyle Graham of Flat Rock, Robyn Painter of Hendersonville, and Elayne Bishop of Boone; five step-great-grandchildren, William, Serena, Katherine, Ethan, and Graham; several nieces and nephews; and the Cornelia Berry family members who have been long time close friends with the Scarborough family.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Harold Bascom Cooke; and sister, Pauline Lucille Ward Cooke.
A memorial service was held Thursday, at 2:00 p.m. at McEwen Funeral Service at Sharon Memorial Park in Charlotte. A private internment is planned for a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the organization of choice or to the Global Children Outreach, c/o Grace Crossing, PO Box 44248, Charlotte, N.C. 28215.
McEwen Funeral Service is in charge of the

February 4, 2009

Mary Jo Brown Cook
Mrs. Mary Jo Brown Cook, 73, of 141 Browns Chapel Crest, Boone, died Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, at her home.
She was born Jan. 24, 1936 in Chapel Hill, N.C., a daughter of the late Fred and Addie Dancy Brown.
Mrs. Cook was a retired employee of Shadowline, Inc. of Boone, and a member of Brookside Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include two sons, Tony Cook and wife, Pat, of Wilkesboro, and Charles Cook and wife, Anita, of Boone; two daughters, Anita Donnelly and husband, Larry, of Zionville, and Donna Hampton and husband, Rick, of Wytheville, Va.; three granddaughters, Melody Roaden and husband, Michael, of Boone, Heather Donnelly and husband, Jason, of Zionville, and Leah Hampton of Wytheville; six grandsons, Jason Cook, and Anthony Cook, both of the Triplett community, Nathan Cook and Robyn Coffey of Hudson, Ryan Hampton and Joshua Hampton, both of Wytheville, and Justin Donnelly of Zionville; two great-grandsons, Zachary Cook and Bradley Cook, both of Hudson; four sisters, Shirley Arney and husband, Bill, of Morganton, Beulah Watson and husband, Clemmon, Ruby Bryan and husband, Joe, and Loye Greer and husband, Eugene, all of Boone; and two brothers, Luther Brown and wife, Mary, and Wiley Brown and wife, Peggy, all of Boone. She is also survived by a number of nieces and nephews.
Services were conducted Tuesday evening, Feb. 3, 2009, at 8:00 o'clock, at Hampton Funeral Home Chapel. Officiating were Dr. Larry Young and the Rev. T.J. Jackson. Graveside services and burial will be conducted Wednesday morning, at 11:00 o'clock, at Browns Chapel Cemetery.
The family received friends Tuesday evening, from 6:00 until 8:00 o'clock, at the funeral home, prior to the service.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Browns Chapel Cemetery Fund, in care of Wiley Brown, 1107 Browns Chapel Road, Boone, N.C. 28607, or to High Country Health Care System/Hospice, 400 Shadowline Drive, Suite 100-B, Boone, N.C. 28607.
Online condolences may be sent to the Cook family at www.hamptonfuneralservice.com.
Hampton Funeral and Cremation Service is in charge of the arrangements.

Dr. Peyton Albert Hughes
Dr. Peyton Albert Hughes, of Boone, N.C., passed away on Jan. 23, 2009 on the island of St. Martin, in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean. He and his wife were on a cruise where Dr. Hughes was a guest lecturer for the Silversea Cruise Line. Dr. Hughes was born May 29, 1938 in Meridian, Mississippi. He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church.
Dr. Hughes served in the United States Marine Corps through its Reserve Program. His university career began at Mississippi State University where he graduated with a BA in Political Science and History in 1961 and a MA in Political Science and History in 1962. After teaching at William Carey College, in Hattiesburg, MS from 1962-65, he returned to Mississippi State to begin work on the Doctorate in Sociology. He taught and studied at MSU from 1965 to 1968.
In 1968, he moved to Boone, N.C., and began his professional career at Appalachian State University.
For six years, he conducted the Institute on Constitutional Democracy for the Department of Political Science for public school social science teachers. In 1972, he joined the Department of Sociology, after receiving his Ph.D. in Sociology and Political Science from Mississippi State. He was one of the youngest professors of Sociology in North Carolina. His teaching areas were comparative political, economic and social systems. Other courses he developed and taught included the study of propaganda and political sociology. His specialization area was the study of Eastern Europe and the former USSR (Soviet Union).
At Appalachian, he created the Center for Community Education and was its first Director. The Center for the Study of Private Enterprise was also created by Dr. Hughes, which he directed for three years from the Chancellor’s office, and was a major fund raiser.
Other appointments have included the Director of the Master of Arts in Social Studies program, Director of the Master of Arts in Sociology curriculum, Co-director of the undergraduate minor in East Europe, Russia, and Central Asia program, and Director of Appalachian’s programs in Washington, DC and New York City. People-to-People International’s Student Ambassador Program for high school students appointed him Teacher-Leader for North Carolina for six years. He has made numerous trips to the former Soviet Union and Russia since 1974. The John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg, N.C. invited him as a consultant on Soviet/Russian politics. In 1997, The US Department of State through its Fulbright program awarded him a teaching fellowship to Belarus State University in Minsk.
He was one of the founding officers of the North Carolina Political Science Association. Memberships include the American Political Science Association, the American Sociological Association, the Southern Sociological Society, the North Carolina Sociology Association, the Triangle University Seminar on National Defense at Duke University, the Southern Slavic Studies Association, and other local professional organizations.
During his tenure, he was awarded several honors including Outstanding Faculty Member in the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Hughes retired as a professor emeritus in May 1998 after 30 years at Appalachian State University. The “Albert and Maxine Hughes Scholarship in Sociology” was established and endowed upon his retirement. Dr. Hughes authored numerous publications during his career and retirement. He also produced a DVD of some of his cruise ship lectures.
Since 1994, Dr. Hughes was invited to serve as a lecturer for a number of cruise lines. After his retirement in 1998, this became a favorite pastime, while continuing his professional work through channels of lecturing and consulting. He was also a former Rotarian.
Dr. Hughes is survived by his wife of 51 years, Maxine (Taylor); daughter, Sharon McKibbin and husband, Mike, of Boone; son, Kent Hughes and wife, Cynthia Lawrence, of Boone and St. Thomas, USVI; and son, Kevin Hughes and wife, Kathy, of Atlanta, Ga. He is also survived by five grandchildren, Jason McKibbin, Lindsey Abrams and Roddie Hughes of Boone, and Austin and Olivia Hughes of Atlanta, Ga.; great-grandchildren; and step-great grandchildren. Also, surviving are two sisters, Cecilia Houser and husband, Russell, of Huntsville, Ala., and Nancy Hughes of Albertville, Ala.; and several nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his father, Peyton Hughes; his mother, Ruth Prather Hughes; and an infant brother, Warren.
A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, Boone, N.C. with Dr. Tim Smith, officiating. A reception and visitation will follow in the church fellowship hall.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Albert and Maxine Hughes Scholarship in Sociology, ASU, American Cancer Society, Grace Lutheran Church, the Hospitality House of Boone or to a charity of choice.

Ann Bynum Lee
Ms. Ann Bynum Lee, 43, of Fleetwood, N.C., died Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009, at Ashe Memorial Hospital.
She was born Dec. 25, 1965 in Wrightsville Beach, N.C., a daughter of the late Henry Livingston Lee and Freta Ann Jones.
Survivors include three brothers, Carl W. Bell, III of South Lake Jordan, Utah, Lewis P. Beard of Winston-Salem, John S. Beard of Hickory; and one sister, Virginia Bell Steel of Creswell, N.C.; and several uncles, aunts and cousins.
A memorial service for Ann Bynum Lee will be conducted Thursday afternoon, Feb. 5, 2009, at 3:00 o'clock, at St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church in Blowing Rock. Officiating will be Father Rick Lawler.
A reception will follow the memorial service in the Parrish Hall.
Online condolences may be sent to the Lee family at www.hamptonfuneralservice.com
Hampton Funeral and Cremation Service, in Boone, is in charge of the arrangements.

John B. Osborne
Mr. John Bynum Osborne, 64, loving husband, father, grandfather and brother, passed away on Friday, Jan. 30, 2009.
He was born in Boone, N.C., on Jan. 13, 1945.
Mr. Osborne was a veteran of the armed services having serviced in the Army Motor Pool Unit in Germany as an Officers Escort. In 1969, John moved his family to Florida to begin a surveying career under the tutelage of his father. He was a Florida Licensed Professional Land Surveyor for 35 years, having risen in his profession to be a respected colleague and a sought after specialist in the construction industry. He was the founder and owner of John Osborne Surveying, Inc., and was co-founder of Academic Services Corporation, which provides continuing education courses to design professionals nationwide.
Survivors include his loving wife of 43 years, Shirley; his son and daughter-in-law Scott and Tina Osborne of Spring Hill, Fla.; his daughter Tammy Sanner and husband, Rod, of Palm Coast, Fla.; five granddaughters, Heather, Ashley, and Kirsty Osborne, and Jessica and Brittany Sanner; two brothers, Charles "Sonny" Osborne, Jr. and Richard Osborne; sister, Lori Gilbert; aunts, Kate Stephens and Sue Teague; and several cousins, nieces, and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Steven "Freddie" Osborne; and his parents, Charles and Gladys Osborne.
The family received friends on Tuesday, Feb. 3 from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. at Brewer & Sons Funeral Home, located at 1190 S. Broad Street in Brooksville, Fla. Services will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 10 a.m., with visitation beginning at 9 a.m.
Brewer & Sons Funeral Home are in charge of the arrangements.

February 2, 2009

Ruth Byland Greene
Ms. Ruth Byland Greene, 83, of Castleford Road, Todd, died Saturday morning, Jan. 31, 2009, at Caldwell Hospice & Palliative Care in Lenoir.
She was born Oct. 6, 1925 in Watauga County, a daughter of the late William and Margaret Scott Byland.
Ms. Greene was a member of Pilot Mountain Baptist Church and a homemaker and farmer.
Surviving are one daughter, June Kime and husband, Joseph, of Williamsburg, Va.; two sons, Ronnie Greene and wife, Mildred Byrd Greene, of Blowing Rock, and Ricky Greene and wife, Jesebil, of Hickory; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Due to the possibility of inclement weather, funeral services will be conducted Tuesday morning at 11 o’clock at Austin & Barnes Funeral Home Chapel. Officiating will be the Rev. Keith Woodie and the Rev. Raymond Spann. Entombment will follow at Mount Lawn Memorial Park & Gardens Mausoleum.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Pilot Mountain Baptist Church, in care of Connie Winebarger, 160 Winebarger Drive, Boone, N.C. 28607 or to Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care, 902 Kirkwood Street, NW, Lenoir, N.C. 28645.
The family will receive friends Monday evening from 6 o’clock until 7:30 at Austin & Barnes Funeral Home.
Online condolences may be sent to the Greene family at austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com.
Austin & Barnes Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the Greene family.

Buster Grimes
Mr. Buster Grimes, 86, of Junaluska Road, Boone, died Thursday afternoon, Jan. 29, 2009, at his home.
He was born June 26, 1922 in Watauga County, to Harrison Boone and Rosie Belle Whittington Grimes.
A minister for 25 years, Rev. Grimes served as pastor at St. Paul’s A.U.M.P. Church in Lancaster, Pa., and attended the Boone Mennonite Brethren Church in Boone. He retired from the AutoHaus car dealership in Lancaster in 1976.
Survivors include four daughters, Linda C. Grimes of Boone, Brenda G. Woods and husband, Calvern, of York, Pa., Latanya Hatfield and husband, Adrian, and Pamela Grimes, all of Lancaster, Pa.; one son, Myron Grimes and wife, Renee, of Charlotte; his former wife, Linda Carroll Grimes of Millersville, Pa.; and three sisters, Sudia Mathes of Banner Elk, Anna Mae Means of Audubon, Pa., and Bille Jean Boots of Atlantic City, N.J. Twelve grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren also survive.
He was preceded in death by one son, Harrison Grimes; three brothers, Clint, Gus and Dallas Grimes; and four sisters, Bertha Gentry, Alberta Parker, Rosa Lee Grimes and Gladys Warren; and his parents.
Services will be conducted Friday afternoon at 1 o’clock at the Austin & Barnes Funeral Home Chapel, officiated by Pastor Brenda Woods. The body will lie in state at the chapel from noon until 1 o’clock. Burial will follow at Clarissa Hill Cemetery.
Flowers are appreciated or memorials may be made to the High Country Health Care Systems Hospice, 400 Shadowline Drive, Suite 100-B, Boone, N.C. 28607.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com.
Austin & Barnes Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the Grimes family.

James Orbrie West
Carol Lynn West
Mr. James Orbrie West, 70, and Carol Lynn West, 65, of Japton, Ark., died Jan. 28, 2009, at their home.
He was born April 13, 1938 at Nixon, Tex., the son of Franklin Lafayett “Pat” and Nancy Ida Ivy West.
She was born May 11, 1943 at Goose Creek, Tex., the daughter of Morris and Ottie Lou Lehnheir Robertson.
He was a pipefitter and she was a homemaker. They were members of the Drakes Creek Regular Baptist Church and she was active in the Extension Homemakers Club.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, Odell West and Olan West and by a great-granddaughter, Ashlee Emery. She was preceded in death by one brother, Harold Robertson.
Survivors include three sons and daughters-in-law, Barton and Leslie Morrison of Arlington, Va., Eric and Marlene Wilson of Boone, N.C., and Jeff and Allison Wilson of Charleston, S.C.; three daughters and one son-in-law, Velvis Lee Jowers and Vanessa Schyrl and Monty Lambeck, all of Stockdale, Tex., and Judi Lynn Wilson of Nashville, Tenn.; his five brothers, Ray West of Japton, Ark., Charles West of Devine, Tex., Owen West, Gary West and Buddy West, all of San Antonio, Tex.; his sisters, Opal Adams of Clarksville, Tex. and Joyce Hartgrove of Stockdale, Tex.; her sister, Christina Jo Lee of Port Saint Lucie, Fla.; six grandsons, Chase Stephen Dillard and Corbin Avery Dillard, both of Boone, N.C., Josh Cotter, Joe Cotter and Morgan Lambeck, all of Stockdale, Tex., and Myron Lambeck of West Columbia, Tex.; four granddaughters, Amanda Nichole Wilson of Vero Beach, Fla., Raylene Warner, Rochelle Lopez and Monica Lambeck, all of Stockdale, Tex.; and several great-grandchildren.
Services will be held Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, at the Drakes Creek Regular Baptist Church with Elders Jim Duncan and John Napier officiating. Interment will be in the Drakes Creek Cemetery under the direction of Brashears Funeral Home www.brashearsfuneralhome.net of Huntsville, Ark.
Pallbearers will be Myron Lambeck, Morgan Lambeck, Joe Cotter, Josh Cotter, Bobby Lopez, Chase Dillard and Corbin Dillard.
Brashears Funeral Home of Huntsville, Ark. are in charge of the arrangements.

Ronnie Lee Wilson
Mr. Ronnie Lee Wilson, 47, of the Hound Ears Club, Blowing Rock, died Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009, at his home.
He was born Sept. 11, 1961 in Mitchell County, a son of Edith Wilson Coburn and Samuel Tony Wilson.
Mr. Wilson was a commercial appraiser and a member of Westview Baptist Church in Boone.
In addition to his parents, survivors include two sons, Austin Lee Wilson of Boone, and Sean Paul Wilson of Las Crucis, New Mexico; his step-father, John Coburn of the Hound Ears Club, Blowing Rock; his step-mother, Jane Wilson of Mountain City, Tenn.; his brother, Lanny Joe Wilson of Mountain City, and his best friend and sister in Christ, Roxanne Costa of Atlanta, Ga. He is also survived by a number of aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Services will be conducted Monday afternoon, Feb. 2, 2009, at 2:00 o'clock, at Westview Baptist Church. The body will lie in state, at the church, from 12:00 until 2:00 o'clock. Officiating will be the Rev. Zane Tester. Burial will follow in the Westview Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends Monday afternoon, from 12:00 until 2:00 o'clock, at the church, prior to the service. At other times, friends may call at the home of his mother and step-father, 196 Azeala, Hound Ears Club, Blowing Rock.
Flowers are appreciated, or memorial contributions may be made to the Westview Baptist Church Building Fund or Cemetery Fund, 105 Bypass, Boone, N.C. 28607.
Online condolences may be sent to the Wilson family at www.hamptonfuneralservice.com.
Hampton Funeral and Cremation Service is in charge of the arrangements.