Thomas Hugh Lamb, a native of Asheville, died peacefully on Friday, July 4, 2014.
Mr. Lamb was born on April 26, 1929 to Hugh and Jacksie Lamb. He graduated from Lee Edwards High School in 1947, earned a degree from Davidson College in 1951, and married Elizabeth (Lib) Hudson on December 28th of that year. Mr. Lamb served as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army in the allied occupation of Germany after World War II, and later came home to join his parents in the family business, Royal Crown Bottling Company of Asheville. Although he retired in 1999, the business remains family owned and operated today.
A lifelong Presbyterian, Mr. Lamb was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Asheville, where he served many terms as Deacon and Elder, and taught both children and adult Sunday school classes. He also served as the moderator of the Asheville Presbytery and the Synod of North Carolina.
Active in community work, Mr. Lamb was the past President of NC Bottlers Association, served on the board of Caring for Children and the YMCA, volunteered at A-Hope and the Memorial Mission Heart Center, tutored at Johnston Elementary School, and was a member of the Rhododendron Royal Brigade of Guards. Mr. Lamb was an avid gardener and loved music, reading and traveling. He made friends easily and was beloved by many, but most of all by his family.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his twin brother, George Lamb and his sisters Betty Gudger and June Lamb. He is survived by his wife of 63 years and his children, Beth (Randy) Fluharty, June (Rocky) Marlowe, Emilie (Ron) Freeman and Hugh (Rebecca) Lamb. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Eleanor Fluharty, Tom Fluharty, Gilbert Marlowe, Liza Marlowe, Kate Marlowe, Kurt Freeman and Emilie Freeman, and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church at 3:00pm on Tuesday, July 8th. Visitation will be at Groce Funeral Home, 72 Long Shoals Road in Arden on Monday evening from 5-7pm.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund, 40 Church Street, Asheville, NC, 28801, the Deerfield Employee Appreciation Fund, 1617 Hendersonville Rd., Asheville, NC 28803, and the FRAXA Research Foundation, www. fraxa.org.
Published in the Asheville Citizen-Times from July 6 to July 8, 2014