Samuel Martin Inman III ’56

A devoted husband, father, preacher’s son, brother, uncle, mentor, coach, raconteur, trouble-shooter, carpenter, repairman, friend, and church leader, Samuel Martin Inman, III, age 88, passed away May 15, 2023, of old age: a venerable way to exit this modern era and begin a refreshed life with his Lord.

The Reverend Samuel M. Inman and Margaret Garwood Inman raised Sam and his older and surviving sister Margaret first in Richmond, Virginia, and then in Charlotte, North Carolina. Following his being among the first class to graduate the new Myers Park High School, Sam played tennis for Davidson College and graduated in 1956, having majored in mathematics and minored in physics. Within 18 months thereafter, Sam also graduated with an industrial engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). During his time in Atlanta, Sam found a focus of his love and attention for the next 67 years: the outgoing, intelligent, transplanted Arkansas Presbyterian Sue Sanders Lile, whom he married in 1958. As he began his career in the newfangled field of commercial plastics, he also served in the United States Army Reserves for 6 ½ years, with a year of active duty at Fort Benning, Georgia, during the Berlin and Cuban Missile Crises.

Sam worked for Celanese Corporation in Rome, Georgia, followed by a transfer with the company to Greenville, where he was a part of the design team that built the Greer (SC) Celanese Polyester Films Plant. Over the course of his professional career, Sam became the manufacturer’s go-to guy in solving problems in production, quality control, research and development, and technical service. In 1992, the successor to Celanese – Hoechst Diafoil – sent him and Sue to Japan, where he spent a year as liaison representative for the joint plastics venture that included operations in Germany (Hoechst AG), the USA (Celanese), and Japan (Mitsubishi Diafoil). A Japanese colleague dubbed him “Mr. Polyester,” which we think was a supreme compliment.

Active in Greenville’s Westminster Presbyterian Church since 1963, Sam served as an elder, deacon, Sunday school teacher, youth advisor, basketball coach, and a member of a pulpit nominating committee. For several years, he taught in the “Life Skills” program at United Ministries as part of the pre-GED Program. He served as chairman of the chemistry advisory committee at Greenville Technical College, chairman of the Presbyterian Pastoral Counseling Center, advisor to the Foothills Presbytery for various church strategies and operations, and as a board member and a lead carpenter for The Warehouse Theater. And in his “spare time,” he co-coached youth baseball teams with the YMCA and City League to multiple undefeated seasons.

His passions were rooted in his energetic church and dynamic family, both now spread like a proverbial banyan tree that his father often used in parable. Sam loved walking in the woods, whether in northern Georgia, the two Carolinas, or the West. He loved American history, especially of the Southeast, and was known to breeze through and retain the thoughts and facts of the thickest historical novels that The Open Book stores in Greenville could offer.

Sam is survived by his wife of 64 years, Sue Lile Inman, and their adult children and spouses: Virginia and Steven Postrel, Los Angeles; Sam and Jamie Inman, Greenville, SC; Drs. John and Amy Inman, Mt. Pleasant, SC; and Bill and Karen Inman, Bend, OR. His four treasured grandchildren – Rachel, Nathan, Andrew, and Katherine – also survive him.

A memorial service will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at 12:00 p.m., followed by a reception in the church atrium.

Memorials may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church Endowment Fund, 2310 Augusta Street, Greenville, SC 29605, www.wpc-online.org; United Ministries, 606 Pendleton Street, Greenville, SC 29601, www.unitedministries.org; or a charity of one’s choice.

Samuel A. Cathey ’67

The Honorable Samuel Allen Cathey, 78, of Alexander, North Carolina, passed away at his home on Saturday, May 13, 2023.

Judge Cathey was born March 15, 1945, in Iredell County, to the late George Bartlett Cathey and Rosalie Wallace Cathey. A 1963 graduate of Statesville High School, and a third generation alum of Davidson College, he earned his law degree at the University of North Carolina School of Law. Judge Cathey was a proud veteran of the U.S. Army and a recipient of the Bronze Star for his actions in the Vietnam Conflict. He married his beloved wife, Sandra Gibson Cathey, in 1975.

During his full and rich life, Judge Cathey served as Assistant District Attorney, and in 1982, Governor Jim Hunt appointed him as the youngest Judge in North Carolina history. He served as Judge and Chief Judge for more than 30 years, and at his retirement, Governor Mike Easley recognized his outstanding service and commitment to the State of North Carolina by awarding him the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. After his retirement he continued to serve as a state emergency judge, holding court in numerous counties.

Judge Cathey has always been known for his deep humor, his ability to bring positivity to all those around him, and most of all, his abiding love for the outdoors and ornithology. He committed himself to his community as a Rotarian and was recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow, and served on the Board of Lake Norman State Park. He never ceased his love of hiking, exploring new trails, and always looking for the road less traveled. In his own humble way, Judge Cathey was proud to have completed the Appalachian Trail in its entirety.

Active with youth sports at the Statesville YMCA, he also founded the Hiking Club at the YMCA, and was an active volunteer in the Boy Scouts. Always with a song at the ready, he routinely shared his love of music, vast repertoire of tunes, and joyous singing voice with his family and friends and in the church choir.

A proud and loving father and deeply committed family man, Judge Cathey took great delight in his family, talking about them to anyone who would listen, and enjoying even the simplest moments of time together. In addition to his wife, Sandra, Judge Cathey is survived by his son, Michael Gibson (Kathryn) Cathey, daughter, Captain Emily A. Cathey, USN, deployed on USS NIMITZ (Captain F. Curtis Jones, USN, retired), his son, Alexander Allen Cathey, his grandchildren, Carson Jones, Kyra Jones, Lillian Jones, Eleanor Jones, and Dashiell Cathey. He is further survived by his brother, Commander Robert Wallace (Maggi) Cathey, USCG, retired, his sister Georgia Ann Cathey, and his nephews.

A visitation for family and friends will be held on Monday, May 22, 2023, from 5 until 7 p.m. at Troutman Funeral Home. A funeral service celebrating the life of Judge Cathey will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 23, 2023, at First Presbyterian Church of Statesville. The Reverend Stephen Scott will officiate.

A burial service with full military honors will be held at 1 p.m. at Oakwood Cemetery, with longtime friend Frank Goldsmith honoring him with the playing of taps. Pallbearers will be: Joel Harbinson, Michael Cathey, Allen Cathey, Dashiell Cathey, Curt Jones, and Billy Webb. Online condolences may be made to the Cathey family at www.troutmanfuneralhome.com

Those wishing to make memorials are asked to consider:

First Presbyterian Church Statesville, General Fund, 125 North Meeting Street, Statesville, NC 28677

First Presbyterian Church Statesville, Music Department, 125 North Meeting Street, Statesville, NC 28677

North Carolina Friends of State Parks, Inc., PO Box 37655, Raleigh, NC 27627

Audubon North Carolina, 807 East Main Street, Suite 2-220 Durham, NC 27701

Ralph Alexander Peeples ’73

Ralph Alexander Peeples passed away early in the morning of Friday May 12th. He was 71 years old. He had received a diagnosis of Stage IV lung cancer in late 2021, and died as a result of complications.

Ralph was best known locally as a faculty member of the School of Law at Wake Forest University, as the president of council of Parkway United Church of Christ in Winston-Salem, and as the legal advisor for the SHARE Cooperative, a local non-profit.

Ralph was born October 18, 1951 to Rita and Ralph Sr., in Charleston, S.C. He attended Blessed Sacrament Elementary School, Bishop England High School, Davidson College, and New York University Law School. Ralph was a National Merit Scholar, a Dana scholar at Davidson, and was a recipient of the prestigious Root-Tilden scholarship at NYU. At Davidson, Ralph was elected president of the Student Government Association, and was active in the anti-war movement.

Upon graduation from NYU he worked for the firm of Squire, Sanders, & Dempsey in Cleveland, Ohio. He joined the faculty of Wake Forest in 1979, and retired from teaching in 2018.

His career at Wake Forest was a distinguished one. He was the four-time winner of an Excellence in Teaching award, and served as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs of the law school from 1995 to 2000. He established a reputation as one of a small group of scholars nationwide who used statistical and empirical tools to study and evaluate the outcomes of the legal system. Ralph was a leading advocate for simplifying and reducing the tremendous expense of legal proceedings for average citizens. To that end he was instrumental in establishing mediation practices in the state, a process which allowed numerous North Carolinians to avoid costly and lengthy court procedures.

His friends and students knew Ralph’s keen (and occasionally sardonic) sense of humor as well as his facility with an astonishing repertoire of Dad Jokes. His exam questions often featured plaintiffs and defendants with the unlikely names of Willie Nelson, Pete Townsend, Shoeless Joe Jackson, and Bert and Ernie, a particularly litigious pair. (To his knowledge, none ever sued for defamation).

Ralph is survived by his wife, Faith Crosby, and four children. Kate resides in Normal, Illinois, Sam in Black Mountain, N.C., and Emma and Michael, both of Greensboro. He is also survived by five siblings – Michael, Stephen, Julie, Martha, and Scott – as well as seven nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 3:00 pm on Sunday, June 4, 2023, at Parkway United Church of Christ in Winston-Salem, NC.

In lieu of flowers, we invite you to donate to one of these organizations using the search tool below, or directly at the following websites:

SHARE Cooperative of Winston Salem: https://www.share-ws.coop

The V Foundation: https://www.v.org

Edwin “Grey” Wicker ’04

It is with heavy hearts, and deep sadness, that we announce the passing of Attorney Edwin “Grey” Wicker.

Grey passed away suddenly as a result of a cardiac event on Wednesday, May 10th.

Professionally, Grey served as a law clerk to the Honorable Roger L. Couch in the Seventh Judicial Circuit for one year before going into practice with Mike Spears of Michael E. Spears, PA, in 2008. Grey joined Parham, Smith & Archenhold’s Spartanburg Office in 2017.

While practicing many facets of the law, Grey focused his efforts on pursuing the legal rights of his clients in civil, medical malpractice, class action and trucking accident litigation. Grey committed his career to protecting his clients’ interests while zealously representing them and counseling them through the difficult litigation process. Grey received an “AV” rating as a Preeminent Lawyer by Martindale Hubbell.

A Spartanburg native, Grey received a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics with a minor in Music from Davidson College before receiving his Juris Doctor, Magna Cum Laude, from The Charleston School of Law in 2007. During his tenure at the Charleston School of Law, Grey served as the Quality Control Editor of the Maritime Law Bulletin. Additionally, Grey served as the Chairman of the school’s Honor Counsel for two years and on the Judiciary Committee, tasked with writing the school’s honor code.

While achieving great success in his legal career, Grey also contributed to his community in many ways. Grey was Chairman of the Board of Directors for Mobile Meals of Spartanburg County beginning in June, 2015. He was also Founder and Director of Public Relations for The Hub City Hog Fest, a charity BBQ competition in downtown Spartanburg, established as a benefit for Mobile Meals of Spartanburg County and raised over $200,000.00 for Mobile Meals in its first four years.

While we could continue with Grey’s accolades and achievements, we know that his greatest legacy is his family. Grey could not have been more proud of his beautiful wife, Amanda, and their two young children.

The void that Grey has left in all of our lives is a true testament to how he lived.