Arthur W. Roach ’48

Arthur W. Roach ’48, of Mooresville, N.C., passed away peacefully after a lengthy battle with COPD, on March 18. Born on Feb. 22, 1922, in Union County, S.C., he was a son of the late Samuel Thomas and Myrtle Hudson Roach. Surviving are his wife, Edna Mae Parker Roach, 518 Briarwood Dr., Mooresville, N.C. 28115; two sons, Tim F. Roach (Jeanne) and Gary A. Roach (Judy); five grandchildren, Cristy Coffey, Amy Ridling, Brian Roach, Wesley Roach ’99, and Jill Alexander; and four great-grandchildren, Sarah Coffey, Riley Alexander, Maddie Ridling, and Laura Coffey. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary Ethel Goodnight Roach; his brother, Sam; and sisters, Lillie Hossack and Vera Lawson. For the last several years of his life, Art was blessed to be part of a second family after he married Edna Mae Parker. From the Parkers, he is survived by a stepson, Douglas (Leigh) and step-grandson, Jakob; and stepdaughters, Terri (Roy Brannon) and step-grandchildren, Jade and Hailey, and Janet (David Robinson) and step-granddaughters, Keri (Justin Anderson) and Erin Parker. Due to family circumstances, Roach was raised at Barium Springs Orphanage in Barium Springs, after a couple of years at Alexander Children’s Home in Charlotte. He retired in 1990, after working as an estimator/project manager for 45 years with several Piedmont construction companies. He was a member of Central United Methodist Church in Mooresville and its Willing Workers Sunday School Class. He had been a member at First Presbyterian Church, though for years he was an active member and elder at Fieldstone Presbyterian Church, where he taught Sunday school and sang in the choir. Art enjoyed sports all his life. Having been a gifted athlete in several sports in high school, Art attended Davidson on a football scholarship, before being called to serve in the Army Air Corps in World War II. For many of his adult years, he played softball and was an avid golfer. His love of sports transferred to his sons and grandchildren, whose games he faithfully attended. In the past few years, he enjoyed designing and building furniture, Shanghai rummy, jigsaw puzzles, and working on his computer.