Category: 1943

Wilbur Lee “Bo” Carter, Jr. ’43, 90, of Summerfield, N.C., passed away at Well Spring Retirement Community on July 20, 2012. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Martha “Mot” Sauvain Carter, 240 Southern C’s Trail, Summerfield, NC 27358-8300; daughters, Judith Marie Carter and Carolyn Carter Yawars; son, W. Lee Carter III; granddaughter, Aspen Yawars McKenna; grandson, Theodore Carter Yawars; and great-granddaughter, Rowan Anne McKenna. Other family members include Susan Sluyter, Dave Yawars, Greg Bradley, Traci Yawars, and Ian McKenna. Born in Greensboro, N.C., Carter’s parents were Wilbur Lee Carter and Marie Estelle Cranford Carter of Greensboro, N.C., both of whom preceded him in death. His sister, Virginia Blair Carter Hagan, and his brother-in-law, Charles Tilden Hagan, Jr., also preceded him in death. Extended family members include Anne Blair Hagan, Charles “Chip” Tilden Hagan III and U.S. Senator Kay Hagan, Henry Guy Hagan and Sims Hagan, John Carter Hagan, and David Blair Hagan and Mary Grover Hagan. Extended family members Ed Sauvain, Charles Smart and Elizabeth S. Smart preceded him in death. Other family members include Peggy Sauvain, Ted and Kathy Sauvain, Mike and Janice Sauvain, Pete and Deb Sauvain, John and Martha Barlow, Ginger Shoe, Charles and Pam Smart, Jr., and Jim and Celia Smart. He received his B.S. degree from Davidson in 1943. He received the chartered life underwriter (CLU) designation and the chartered financial consultant (ChFC) designation from the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pa. He was a U.S. Army captain in the Infantry serving in the European Theatre in Germany (1943-45) in General Patton’s Third Army. He received three Decorated Battle Stars and the Purple Heart for his distinguished service after he was hit by shell fragments. Carter was president and chief executive officer of Southern Life Insurance Company from 1946 until the company’s sale in 1986. His father founded the company in 1927. He is credited with building Southern Life to a nationally recognized insurance leader, ranked in the top 10 percent of all U.S. life insurance companies. When Southern Life built its new headquarters in downtown Greensboro in 1980 (now the U.S. Trust Building), the move was hailed as the beginning of the renovation of downtown Greensboro. Carter was an elder in the First Presbyterian Church, past chairman of the United Way Campaign of Greater Greensboro, past chairman of the United Arts Fund Campaign, and past chairman of the Life Insurers Conference. He was a board member of Security National Bank, which later became NCNB, NationsBank, and Bank of America. He remained a member of the NationsBank Board of Directors until 1987. He was a member of the Jefferson-Pilot Corporation Board of Directors until 1980 and a member of the Liberty Life Insurance Corporation Board of Directors until 1988. He was a trustee of the Wesley Long Hospital, and made the first gift to its endowment, which would later become the Wesley Long/Moses Cone Community Health Endowment Fund. He was a member emeritus of the board of directors and past chair of the investment committee of the Walthour-Moss Foundation in Southern Pines, N.C. He was a fellow of the Life Underwriters Training Council, past board member of the American Council of Life Insurance, and a member of the Greensboro Association of Life Underwriters. He was a founding board member of the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro and a past member of its investment committee. He was a founding board member of the Greensboro Sports Council, Junior Achievement of Central North Carolina, and the Greensboro Investment Club. He was a past member of the board of directors of L. Richardson Memorial Hospital, and Evergreens Nursing Center. He was an Eagle Scout. He received the Boss of the Year Award in l982 from the Greensboro Jaycees. In addition to his love and compassion for his family, friends, church, company, and his community, his passion was horseback riding.

Ross Lombard Parks ’43, 90, of Asheville, N.C., died April 22 at Deerfield Skilled Nursing facility. He was an Asheville native, born in Biltmore Hospital, the son of Claude H. Parks and Madelon E. Todd Parks. Parks is survived by his wife, Priscilla N. Parks, 455 Concord Rd., Fletcher, NC 28732-9734, whom he married in 2000 after renewing their high school romance. He is also survived by his son, Thomas Parks ’75; his daughter, M. Jean Parks ’77 (Arthur Grand); his brother, Howard Parks; his sister, Claudia Ferrell; and his stepdaughters and their families who welcomed him with open hearts, Bobbi Whitmire, Nancy Jones, Judy Bohan, and Kathy Zwingert. He enjoyed his nieces, nephews, and grandchildren. Parks was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 51 years, Elizabeth “Betty” Moore Parks; his daughter, Betsy Rosenberg; son-in-law, Ed Rosenberg; and his brother, Henry Parks. Parks graduated from Castle Heights Military Academy and Davidson before serving in the Army in WWII. He fought in the European Theatre, was wounded at the Battle of the Bulge, and was awarded the Purple Heart. With the help of the GI Bill, Parks earned a doctorate in chemistry at UNC. He worked in textiles manufacturing for American Enka and then for Monsanto Co. in Decatur, Ala. His last assignment for Monsanto was at Mound Laboratories near Dayton, Ohio. He served in the Army Reserves, primarily in medical education, and reached the rank of lieutenant colonel. He retired to Asheville in 1986. Parks was a lifelong Episcopalian. After the death of his daughter, he worked with his wife, Betty, to provide support for other parents of homicide victims. He was active in the Men’s Garden Club of Asheville. His family and friends appreciated his intelligence, curiosity, and sense of humor.