Lane Cloaninger, 89, passed away on Feb. 5, 2017, after a brief period of declining health, surrounded by his wife, Bobbie, and three children.
Lane derived the deepest joy from his family. He enjoyed a successful career in marketing. And he never missed the chance to share a laugh and a story, all the better if it was on the golf course with friends.
Lane was born on Jan. 6, 1928, in Charlotte, the second of Everette and Katherine Cloaninger’s two children. He graduated from Central High School and then Davidson College in 1950 with a business degree. He played football in both high school and college, and was an active member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
Lane enjoyed a 39-year career in textile marketing with the Celanese Corp., rising to the position of Marketing Director. His job took him to Atlanta, suburban New York City and finally to River Hills, S.C., outside Charlotte, where Lane and Bobbie spent 30 wonderful years before moving to Southminster in 2009. Lane loved life on the golf course in River Hills, then life among friends and activities at Southminster.
Lane is survived by his wife of 44 years, Bobbie; three children – Cathy Perry and her husband, Chris, of Durham, Lane Cloaninger III of Apex and Nina Cloaninger of Charlotte; his sister, Ruth Helton, of Winston-Salem; seven granddaughters – Emily, Beth, Katy, Clara, Anna, Shannon and Laura; six great-grandchildren – Kaylen, Gabe, Emily, Abby, Henry and Lucas; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Clara Barnes, and Bobbie’s daughter, Marcia Gough.
A service to celebrate Lane’s life will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, at Southminster, 8919 Park Road.
Instead of flowers, a gift in Lane’s memory can be made to Southminster Community Fund, 8919 Park Road, Charlotte, N.C. 28210, or Hospice and Palliative Care, 1420 E. Seventh St., Charlotte, N.C. 28204. The family is deeply grateful for the love and care shown by the staff at the Southminster Embrace Health Care Unit, and the Hospice counselors.
Lane and Bobbie were members of Myers Park Baptist Church. When it came time to tell a joke at his Central High School reunion, Class of 1946, Lane was always ready with a quip. They enjoyed traveling the world together, family beach vacations to DeBordieu in South Carolina, and golf trips to Scotland and elsewhere with friends from River Hills Country Club at Lake Wylie, S.C. The Sweet Sixteens, they called themselves.
But Lane was just as content to take a walk with Bobbie or watch the trees sway from the balcony of their fourth-floor home at Southminster. Content and at peace.
J.B. Tallent Funeral Service is taking care of the family. Online condolences can be shared at www.tallentfuneralservice.com.