Obituaries from the Saturday, November 24, 2007 issue of the Roxboro-Courier Times

Christopher P. Blackard

The funeral for Christopher Page Blackard, 30, of 53 Candltree Dr., Semora, who died Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007, will be conducted at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 25, in Red House Presbyterian Church. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Mr. Blackard was a native of Pittsylvania County, Va.

He was a heavy equipment operator for RESCO in Hillsborough.

Surviving are his fiancé, Rosa Pressley; William, Laura and Tiffany Blackard, all of Semora and Lyn, Diane and Christian Welch, all of Danville, Va.; two brothers, Steven Blackard and Scott Yarbrough, both of Semora.

Pallbearers will be Darrell Poole, Gene Loftis, Daniel Walker, Darrell Boyd, Dale Lambert, Gary Wilkins and Dave Couch.

Visitation will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. today, Nov. 24, at Brooks & White Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made to the Red House Presbyterian Church Cemetery Fund, c/o Jack L. Pointer, 501 Jack Pointer Rd., Semora, NC 27343.

Sidney Grant Boone, Jr., 1947 – 2007

"I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth." Genesis 9:13.

Nobody had a joke and a smile to match like Grant Boone. No matter who you were or where you were, no one was too big or too small for him to share these gifts of friendship with. He was like a breath of fresh air on a stuffy day or a brilliant rainbow after a summer storm, and you felt better because he was there. Somehow children just know about things from the heart, things like goodness, sincerity, and plain old fun. Children know, and that's why their faces would light up when they hopped on his lap and said, "Tell me the story of the wide-mouth frog." With a smile as big as a full-sky rainbow, Grant would tell his story in a deep voice that grew deeper as the kids' eyes grew wider and the story got better. It seems that older kids know these things too, and that's why any Boy Scout from the Old North State Council will tell you, "Chief made that time in my life fun. It was special."

And yes, there was a serious, take-care-of-business side to Grant too. More than a few members of that same scout troop would also tell you, "Chief helped me turn my life around," or even, "I'd be in jail now if Chief hadn't straightened me out." And from the heat and mud of war-torn Viet Nam to the cool, fresh-mopped floors of overcrowded Person Memorial Hospital, Grant served his country and his community for one reason and one reason only: it was the right thing to do.

Grant continued to share a joke and a smile with everyone who came his way until Thursday, November 22, 2007 at 1:50 A.M. when he met his parents, Sidney Grant Boone, Sr. and Katherine Abernethy Boone, at heaven's gate. He is survived by his wife of nearly thirty-eight years, Jackie Manning Boone; his son, William Robert Boone and wife Alyson, and their daughter, Katelyn; and by his daughter, Susan Boone Horton and husband Jason. He is also survived by two brothers, Samuel J. Boone and John A. Boone. A memorial service will be held at Long Memorial United Methodist Church in Roxboro, NC at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, November 26, 2007. Visitation will follow in the Harris Fellowship Hall.

If it's true you can judge the sincerity and character of a man's heart by the way he treats people who can do absolutely nothing for him other than share the essence of themselves with him, then this man, Grant Boone was solid gold. The children were right all along of course, and most of us never doubted it for a moment. Those of us who knew and loved Grant think he was taken from us far too soon, but maybe God needed someone who could tell a good story about a wide-mouth frog to children who also left our world far too early, or maybe the boy scout troop needed a chief who would laugh with them, guide them, and love them. Or maybe, just maybe, God needed someone dependable, someone he could count on to do the right thing, someone with a heart golden enough and a smile big enough to keep those rainbows burning bright and full to remind us all of God's covenant with earth. Maybe God needed Grant Boone.

(Paid by the family)

Ivey H. Carver

The funeral for Ivey Holt Carver, 81, of the Roxboro Nursing Center, who died Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007 at Person Memorial Hospital, will be conducted at 2 p.m. today, Nov. 24, in the Brooks & White Funeral Home chapel by Pastor Billy Edwards and Pastor Barbara Whitlow. Burial will be in the Person Memorial Cemetery.

Mrs. Carver was a native of Person County, the daughter of the late Johnny and Viola Bowes Holt. Her late husband was Rainey Dennis Carver.

She was retired from Collins & Aikman Corp.

Surviving are her children, Linda Tuck, Rickey Carver, Wayne Carver, Ronnie Carver and Shelby Quick, all of Roxboro; two brothers, Edward Holt and Tim Holt, both of Roxboro; nine grandchildren, Wanda Wilborn, Dennis Tuck, Barry Taylor, Brandy Krauss, Crystal Harvey, Ronnie Carver, Stacy Mangum, Stephanie Carver and Robert Carver; and nine great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Jonathan Tuck, Robert Carver, Ronnie Carver, Stacy Mangum, Wanda Wilborn, Crystal Harvey and Dennis Tuck.

Memorials may be made to Home Health & Hospice of Person County, 355A S. Madison Blvd., Roxboro, NC 27573.

Marjorie G. Gentry

The funeral for Marjorie Frances G. Gentry, 79, of 7637 Virgilina Rd., who died Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2007 at Person Memorial Hospital, was conducted at 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23, in Olive Branch Baptist Church by Dr. Victor Blackwell. Burial was in the church cemetery.

Mrs. Gentry was a native of Person County, the daughter of the late Theodore and Mae Gates Gentry.

She was a faithful member of Olive Branch Baptist Church where she was a member of the Women’s Missionary Union and a former Sunday school teacher.

Surviving are her husband, Cecil F. Gentry; two daughters, Dianne Gallimore and husband, Don, and Faye Collie and husband, Wayne; a son Cecil Lynn Gentry and wife, Wendi, all of Roxboro; a brother, Bobby Lee Gentry, of Roxboro; seven grandchildren, Newman Gunter, Tina Johnson, Suzanne Beshears, W.S. Collie, Lynn Gentry, Joshua Gentry, and Charity Gentry and five great-grandchildren, Bryce Gunter, Aubree Gunter, Skyler Beshears, Kirsten Johnson and Michaela Gallimore.

Pallbearers will be Newman Gunter, W.S. Collie, Lynn Gentry, Joshua Gentry, Mark Johnson and Jason Beshears.

Memorials may be made to Olive Branch Baptist Church or Olive Branch Baptist Women (WMU), 7343 Dirgie Mine Rd., Roxboro, NC, 27574.

William (Russell) Gilbert Jr.

ROUGEMONT — A memorial service for William (Russell) Gilbert Jr., 59, of 13308 Quarterehorse Run, Rougemont, who died unexpectedly early Monday, Nov. 19, 2007, at Durham Regional Hospital, will be conducted at 4 p.m. today, Nov. 24, in Johnson Hall at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Durham.

Mr. Gilbert was a native of Florida, where he lived until moving to Durham in 1985. His late father was William Russell Gilbert.

He received a bachelor’s degree from Jacksonville University and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Florida.

For the past 22 years, he had been employed with Nortel Networks, where he was a world class expert in data management and most recently the leader of Master Data Solutions.

He had a passion for music and playing the guitar.

He was active in the Red Mountain Homeowners Association.

Surviving are his wife, Donna Meng Gilbert; two daughters, Karen Marie Gilbert and husband, Greg Knight, of Berkeley, Calif. and Anna Marie Gilbert of Rougemont; his mother, Rosella Fullerton Wright and husband, Will, of Atlantic Beach, Fla.; two brothers, John Preston Gilbert of Lutz, Fla. and Ragan Gilbert of Bronson, Fla.; and his stepmother, Annette Gilbert of Somerset, Mass.

Memorials may be made to PXE International, 4301 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20008, a charity supported by the Gilbert family.

Bobby J. Poplin

The funeral for Bobby Joe Poplin, 49 of 11960 Virgilina Rd., who died Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2007 at Person Memorial Hospital, will be conducted at 2 p.m. today, Nov. 24, in the Hartsell Funeral Home's Lefler Memorial Chapel in Albemarle. Burial will be in the Fairview Memorial Park also in Albemarle.

Mr. Poplin was a native of Stanly County, the son of Shirley JoAnn Poplin Morton of Albemarle.

He was a steel worker.

Surviving in addition to his mother are his stepfather, George Morton of Albemarle; two sisters, Tammie Morton Fork and husband, Michael, of Stafford, Va. and Cindy Morton Lowder of Albemarle; and a niece, Alexis Jordan Ford.

Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 1131, Fairfax, Va. 22038-1131.

Walter J. Thomasson Jr.

CLINTON — The funeral for Walter James Thomasson Jr., 84, of 307 Fox Lake Dr., Clinton, who died Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2007 at Sampson Regional Medical Center, was conducted at 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23, in First Baptist Church by the Rev. Ron Cava. Burial was in the Clinton Cemetery.

Born in 1923 in York County, S.C., Mr. Thomasson was the son of the late Walter James and Mary Elizabeth Misenheimer Thomasson. His late brothers were William Robert Thomasson and John Edward Thomasson, and his late sister was Betty.

He attended North Carolina State University.

He was a retired computing services manager.

A U. S. Army veteran, he served during World War II.

He was a member of the First Baptist Church where he was a former member of the board of deacons.

He was also a member of the Clinton Lions Club.

Surviving are his wife, Zelma Murray Thomasson; a daughter, Jeanne-Marie Thomasson and husband, Peter F. Toy, of Norcross, Ga.; a son, James Ardrey Thomasson and wife, Nancy, of Timberlake; a sister, Lura T. Hoffman of Mt. Holly; and four grandchildren, Caroline Toy, Geoffrey Toy, Daniel Thomasson and David Thomasson.

Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church Sanctuary Fund, 408 College St., Clinton, NC 28328.

Irene E. Van Wie

Irene Elizabeth Van Wie, 95, formerly of 1125 Wheeler’s Church Rd., Hurdle Mills, died Friday, Nov. 23, 2007 at the Roxboro Nursing Center.

She was a native of Onondaga County, New York.

Mrs. Van Wie was a Lutheran.

Surviving are six sons, Jack P. Mitchell of Jefferson, Texas, John D. Mitchell of Richardson, Texas, Jerry A. Mitchell of Hot Springs, Ark., James Robert Mitchell of Orlando, Fla., David B. Mitchell of Portland, Ore., and Guy Mitchell of Roxboro; 11 grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren.

No services are planned.

Gladys C. Wise

The funeral for Gladys Clayton Wise, 72, who died Thursday, Nov. 22, 2007 at Duke Hospice in Hillsborough, will be conducted at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 25, at St. Paul Holy Church by the Rev. Lewis Simmons. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Ms. Wise was a member of St. Paul Holy Church.

Surviving are a daughter, Phyllis Wise of Roxboro; a brother, June Clayton of Roxboro; a granddaughter, Cassandra Wise of Roxboro; and a grandson, Michael Wise of Roxboro.

Visitation will be from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. today, Nov. 24, at Cunningham & Nelson Funeral Home.