Category: 1959

Charles “Charlie” Darius Massey of Davidson, NC passed away peacefully on May 14, 2024, at S. Mitchell Mack Hospice House. He was 87 years old. Born and raised in Waxhaw, NC, Charlie is remembered as a man who served God, his family, his community, and all of mankind faithfully, as well as being a people person who loved to listen, give advice, and tell stories.

Growing up, he loved riding his horse Whiteflash with his cousin Fefe in the woods of Waxhaw, playing with his brother Henry and their dog Bobby, his paper route, and the game of basketball, which he played when he attended Waxhaw Senior High School.
Charlie grew up in the Waxhaw Presbyterian Church which impressed upon him the importance of serving, leading him to eventually serve as an elder at the First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Holly, the First Presbyterian Church in Gastonia, and at Davidson College Presbyterian Church in Davidson. Additionally, he taught Sunday school, served on numerous committees, and served as a delegate to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA.

Charlie’s strong Presbyterian roots led him to Davidson College where his love of basketball grew as he cheered on the Wildcats. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity, graduating with a degree in English and a minor in history. Charlie honored his alma mater by serving as president of the Wildcat Club, the Davidson Athletic Foundation, and holding numerous alumni and volunteer positions.

Upon graduating from Davidson, Charlie spent time in New Orleans, taking classes at Tulane followed by a two-year stint in the U.S. Army. Subsequently, he began his career in his family business, The Massey Company, where he worked with his brother Henry for 40 years until they both retired on December 31, 2000.

In addition to his business career, Charlie was an active volunteer, serving on many boards, including several trade associations, numerous non-profit organizations including chambers of commerce, the United Way, and the American Red Cross, as well as numerous banks, including an almost 20-year run on the board of First Union Bank.

He served as president of Gaston Skills, a work center for people with disabilities, as chair of the Gaston County Heart Association, on the Gaston Regional Planning Commission, and was a founder and original board member of Covenant Village, Inc. a church-related retirement facility. Lastly, he served as president of the Residents’ Association at The Pines at Davidson. Charlie’s outstanding acts of service led him to receive the Alumni Service Award from Davidson College in 2019.

Along with Davidson College basketball, Charlie loved jazz music, dancing, good food and red wine, all things lemon and grape, key lime pie, searching for and collecting golf balls, and being at his vacation home on Seabrook Island with his family.

He had a passion for golf and was a member of the Southern Seniors Golf Association, the Senior Golfers of America, and the American Seniors Golf Association. Charlie got a hole in one at Pebble Beach and won the Senior Golfers of America Pebble Beach Championship in 2002.

Charlie is survived by his wife of 62 years, Sue Nance Massey; his son and son-in-law, Charles Chan Massey and Joseph Chan; his daughters, Susan Chesson and Katherine Noble; his grandchildren, Charlie Chesson and wife Melinda, Jake Chesson, Sarah Wunsch and husband Mike, Annie Echols, and Julia Noble; his great grandchildren, Addie Chesson, Ophelia Wunsch, and Ezra Chesson; his brother, Henry Heath Massey, Jr. and wife Emily; his cousins, Esther Prince, Fefe Booth and husband Richard; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Charlie was preceded in death by his parents, Henry Heath Massey, Sr. and Bessie Smith Massey; his parents-in-law, Earl VanBuren Nance and Vondola Biggs Nance; his son-in-law, Thad Chesson; and many beloved aunts, uncles, and cousins.

A celebration of Charlie’s life will be held on June 1, 2024, at 2:00 pm at The Pines at Davidson in the Davidson Room.

Memorials may be made to The Pines at Davidson Resident Support Fund, 400 Avinger Lane Davidson, NC 28036, 704-896-1489 and the S. Mitchell Mack Hospice House, Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County at mindyr@hoic.org or 704-873-4719.
Online condolences can be made at www.jamesfuneralhomelkn.com. James Funeral Home, of Huntersville, is serving the family and obituary lovingly written by the family.

Julian Jerome “Jerry” Clark, Jr., 86, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 30, 2024, surrounded by his family.

Born on September 7, 1937, he was the son of the late Mary Mackey Hough Clark and Julian Jerome Clark. A Charlotte native, Jerry was a proud member of the Classic Class of 1955 at Myers Park High School. Upon graduation from Davidson College in 1959 where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army. He was assigned to a division of military intelligence and resided in Washington DC. In 1961, he married his bride of sixty-three years, Elizabeth “Woody” Bradford.

Upon his return to Charlotte, Jerry started his career in commercial real estate development where he continued to be active in the field. He was president of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Charlotte and was a founding member of the North Carolina Income Property Loan Committee. He was also a member of the North Carolina Industrial Developers Association. He was proud of the many long-lasting relationships he developed with buyers of commercial properties during his real estate career.

As a deacon serving the finance and long-range planning committees at First Presbyterian Church, he worked to secure the Popular Street property, enhancing the long-term financial position of the church. Jerry had many strong relationships with the non-profit community including establishing the Brown Cup, serving on the board of Youth Homes, Right Moves for Youth, the Dowd YMCA, the Charlotte Track Club, United States Masters Swimming, and the Davidson Athletic Foundation. Jerry was a member of Charlotte Country Club, the Charlotte City Club, Springdale Hall Club, and was a proud member of The Piedmont Club of Charlotte.

Jerry touched many lives as a lifelong athlete, enjoying tennis, basketball, golf, squash, long distance running, triathlons, and swimming. He enjoyed training for and competing in local, national, and international events. He qualified twice for the USA Triathlon World team, and held state, national and world records as a US Masters swimmer. For him, the journey of training with friends throughout the many years in all these sporting events was more rewarding and more important than any individual results achieved.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Elizabeth “Woody” Clark; his three children; Lisa Neely (Doug), Andy Clark (Lauri), Mary Attaway (Joe); his grandchildren: Sarah, Connor, and Elizabeth “Biz” Neely; Lilly and Katie Clark, Julian, Camille and Lucy Attaway, and the sweet remembrance of Peyton Elizabeth Clark. He is also survived by his beloved brother, Billy Clark (Veronica and stepdaughter Alex).

A celebration of Jerry’s life will be held at 2:00 PM on Thursday, April 4, 2024, at First Presbyterian Church. For those unable to attend, the service will be livestreamed using the following link: https://firstpres-charlotte.org/watch/. The family will receive friends in the Wood Fellowship Hall following the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Jerry’s honor can be made to the First Presbyterian Church TV Ministry, Memory & Movement Charlotte, or The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation.

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC; 28204 (704) 641-7606. 

Charles Lee Cooke, MD, died peacefully on January 22, 2024, at the age of 86. He was preceded in death by his parents, Moses, and Selma Cooke, and his sister Barbara and brother Kenneth. His survivors include his sons David (Kim) and Stephen (Hana), stepsons Rick Rowley (Laura) and Chip Rowley (Marie), as well as his brothers J. Robert (Nancy) and Joe (Kathy) and sisters Betty (Eddie), Marilyn (Greg) and Martha (Lawson).

Charley is survived by his wife of 44 years, Midge, and they have been blessed with ten grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. They delighted in sharing life, new experiences, and sweet treats with these amazing human beings.

Charley grew up in rural North Carolina in the town of Cornelius. The family of seven children were brought up on the farm, which resulted in individuals who were hard-working and high achievers. After high school, Charley attended Davidson College, an institution that greatly impacted his life and passions, as he thrived in pre-med, music, and religion. His continued pursuit of higher education led him to attend Medical School at Chapel Hill, NC. After graduation from Medical School, Charley spent two years on rotations for the United States Air Force as an MD. Upon completion of his service to our country, Charley interned at the Medical College of Virginia. There, he joined the Staff of the Connective Tissue Disease and continued to live a life full of teaching, attending to patients, practicing photography, devouring history books, and crafting his woodworking skills.

After a 20-year tenure at MCV that saw him become a Professor of Medicine, Charley left to join a private practice. Once he retired from private practice, he continued to support the medical community by reviewing disability cases for Social Security until he was 82. His love of medicine and contribution to the profession continued to the end of his life.

Charley received many accolades throughout his life. Among these were Outstanding Alumni at Davidson College, Honored History Speaker by Richmond Academy, and Outstanding Physician in Richmond for Connective Tissue Disease. He also dedicated himself to volunteer work, which included Crossover Clinic (where he was honored), a docent at Chimborazo Hospital Site, and an elder at Second Presbyterian Church.

When he wasn’t helping patients or volunteering, he and Midge loved traveling, reading, cooking, and being with family. His proudest possession was his fully equipped woodworking shop in his basement. He spent countless hours crafting beautifully detailed wooden pieces, from picture frames to cedar chests, and many of his creations live on with his family members.

Nine years ago, Charley and Midge made the decision to move to Covenant Woods. Here, Charley thrived by founding The History Group, loving the great food, and socializing with staff and residents. He ultimately needed more care and spent almost two years in Health Care, where he was cared for by the wonderful staff, for which he and Midge were so grateful.

Donations in his memory may be given to the Scholarship Fund at Covenant Woods or the Organ Fund at Second Presbyterian Church.

The memorial service in honor of Charley will be held on January 31st at 2 p.m. at Second Presbyterian Church located at 5 North 5th Street, Richmond, VA. Reception to follow.

John William Denham, 86, passed away on December 30, 2022 at Salemtowne Retirement Community. He was born on October 3, 1936 to Chester and Louise Lowrance Denham in Mooresville, NC. John was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Julia Carr Denham.

He is survived by his daughter, Ellen Denham and her husband, Stephan Laurent-Faesi, his daughter Amy Denham and her husband, Jonathan Simmons, and his brothers Robert Denham and William Denham.

John was a beloved physician in Winston-Salem for many years until he retired due to a debilitating stroke in 1992. His clinical work included serving on the faculty in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, as the medical director of Whitaker Rehabilitation Center at Forsyth Hospital, and as a primary care physician at Winston-Salem Health Care.

He was a member of Christ Moravian Church, where he sang in the choir, taught Sunday school, and served on the Board of Elders. His family remembers his compassion for all people and animals, his love of classical music, and his strength and good humor in facing more than thirty years of life after his stroke.

A memorial service will be held on January 14, 2023 at 2 p.m. at Christ Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, with a reception immediately following at the church fellowship hall. Memorials may be made to Christ Moravian Church, 904 W. Academy St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. Online condolences may be sent to www.salemfh.com.