Category: 1950s

Arthur Dye of Portland, Oregon, died peacefully in the company of cherished family members on June 29, 2026. He was born September 26, 1935, in Charlotte, North Carolina, the eldest child of Mildred Taylor Dye and Dr. Arthur McKee Dye. 

As a teenager, Arthur attended boarding school at The McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, then continued his education at Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1957, he enrolled at the Putney Graduate School of Teacher Education, an experimental master’s degree program in rural Vermont. The program’s founder, progressive educator and pacifist Morris Mitchell, became one of Arthur’s earliest mentors, inspiring him to dedicate himself to a lifetime of community service and social activism. 

Arthur’s wide-ranging career included a decade of fundraising and community organizing for the American Friends Service Committee, a prominent Quaker service organization. As a staff member at the AFSC headquarters in Philadelphia, he was assigned to the organization’s Peace Education Program, which provided crucial support and counseling for conscientious objectors at a time when young Americans were being drafted to fight in Vietnam. Other assignments in those early years at AFSC included support for the Civil Rights Movement in the South, and humanitarian aid programs for civilians in active war zones. 

Some of the proudest moments of his career date back to his time as executive secretary of AFSC’s Pacific Northwest regional office, where he developed deep and lasting friendships with members of Native American tribal groups, African American trade unions, and the United Farmworkers of America as they fought for racial justice and human rights in Oregon and Washington.

From the mid-1970s, his career also embraced higher education and scientific research, including administrative roles at Wilmington College, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, and his father’s alma mater, the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. He ended his career at Ecotrust, a Portland-based environmental nonprofit that partners with local communities to implement economically sustainable conservation strategies up and down the West Coast. 

At the retirement community where he lived with Jill Spencer, his wife and partner of more than four decades, Arthur was known as a gentle and caring neighbor who participated in diverse community activities and volunteerism. In recent years, when his longtime hobbies of home remodeling, gardening, and furniture making were no longer viable, he became an avid nature photographer and an amateur cultivator of bonsai trees. And nothing gave him greater joy in life than seeing his two grandsons grow into young adults.

With his first wife, Becky Dye, Arthur had three sons, all of whom were able to spend time with him during his final days. In many respects, Arthur’s character was shaped by his formative years in the South, and although he lived away from his home state of North Carolina for most of his adult life, he never lost his Southern affinity for story-telling and tall tales. Up until the very end, he held on to his abiding kindness and sense of humor – bantering with hospital staff, delighting in oft-repeated jokes, sharing memories of good times past, and expressing gratitude for the full life he had lived. Arthur is survived by his wife, Jill Spencer, his first wife, Rebecca Dye, his sons, Lewis Dye (Joan Husman), Allen Dye (Belle Gironda), and Morris Dye (Lyn Hikida), and his grandsons, Taylor Dye and Jackson Dye.

The family has requested that any memorial tributes be made in the form of charitable contributions to:

 ● Right 2 Dream Too in Portland, Oregon

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/donate-to-keep-us-open

● Fox Creek Park, c/o the Swannanoa Community Council in Swannanoa, North Carolina 

https://grovemontpark.square.site/s/order?si=true&item=QB65KDEE5MTIN3LTEBYG6LV 7#most-popular

Mr. Robert R. Isenhour, Jr. (Bob) passed peacefully on 25 June 2026 at Rappahannock-Westminster Canterbury in Irvington, Virginia. Bob was born in Burlington, NC on February 5, 1935.

He spent his childhood in Burlington and graduated from Walter M. Williams High School there. After graduation, he attended Davidson College where he graduated with a BA degree majoring in Business Administration.

After college he joined the US Navy where he served as an Intelligence Officer in the Washington, DC area for his four-year tour-of-duty before attending graduate school at Stanford University where he obtained an MBA degree with a concentration in finance.

Bob began his professional career at R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston Salem, NC as a credit manager. He worked at Reynolds for over 20 years and served as a Department Manager until his retirement at age 52.

While living in Winston Salem, Bob met and married Mary Wolff Maddrey (“Wolffe”) and they began what would be a 50 year-plus lifetime together. For many of those years they enjoyed working together as Bob joined Wolffe’s design business, “Interiors by Isenhour”, in Winston Salem after his retirement from Reynolds.

In their later years, Bob and “Wolffe” retired to Emerald Isle, NC to the “Dream Home” they built on the Intracoastal Waterway. They enjoyed living in the Emerald Isle community for almost 30 years. Bob always loved dogs and raised two German Shepards and two Golden Retrievers and actively participated in the local community. Bob was proud of his community service as an Emerald Isle Commissioner, including his lead role in the planning and construction of the new Emerald Isle Community Library.

In 2023, Bob moved from his home in Emerald Isle to the Rappahannock-Westminster Canterbury Retirement Center in Irvington. During his time at RW-C, he enjoyed his final three years living in close proximity to his sister Katherine Isenhour Lantz and sharing family life with her as well as making occasional trips to Bob’s mountain retreat home in Fancy Gap, Virginia.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Robert R. Isenhour and Willie McKnight Isenhour as well as his beloved wife, Mary W. Isenhour. He is survived by his Sister, Katherine Isenhour Lantz, of Irvington, Virginia.

There is no Irvington area memorial event currently planned. However, there will be a graveside service at Oakwood Cemetery in Concord, NC at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a tax-deductible donation (by check) to one of the following charitable organizations, or to an animal welfare organization of your choice:

• Animal Welfare League of Northern Neck. Inc.

P. O Box 975; White Stone, VA 22578.

(AWL Tax ID is 54-1106959)

• Northern Neck Partners for Pets

P.O. Box 361, Irvington, VA 22480.

(Partners for Pets Tax ID is 46-4025767)

William (Bill) Elias Jackson Jr. passed away at home, in Davidson, on June 8, 2026, at the age of 90.

He was born at home on the family farm, in the North Carolina Sandhills, to William Elias Jackson and Laura Helen Sullivan Jackson, of West End, on Sept. 21, 1935. As a boy, he plowed tobacco with a mule, picked peaches and played baseball, beginning his lifelong love of the New York Yankees.

He graduated from Davidson College ’57 with a Bachelor of Arts in economics, received a Master of Arts in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Master of Philosophy in political science from Columbia University.

He served in the Executive Office of the President under President John F. Kennedy in 1963, during which time he attended Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. After President Kennedy was assassinated, he returned to North Carolina to teach at Charlotte College (now UNC Charlotte). In 1964, he met and married Judith Ann Fletcher, and the following year, the couple moved to New York, where he continued his graduate studies at Columbia University’s Russian Institute. In 1968, they relocated to Davidson, where he taught courses in government and politics at Davidson College.

He continued his career in national government as the chief legislative assistant for national security to Senate Democratic Majority Whip Alan Cranston. Subsequently, he was the executive director of President Jimmy Carter’s General Advisory Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament, then the special assistant to the chief SALT II (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks II) negotiator, Paul Warnke, and finally served in the office of Congressional Relations under Secretary of State Ed Muskie. He was a foreign policy scholar at the Brookings Institution and senior fellow at the Fulbright Institute of International Relations at the University of Arkansas.

A highlight of his life was his “brush with greatness” when a student, Zindzi, told him she was sharing notes from his lectures at the University of Cape Town, with her father Nelson Mandela, in prison on Robben Island, and then meeting Madiba in person in 1990.

He was passionate about the United States of America, and cared deeply about government and domestic and foreign policy. For over 60 years, he published academic articles, journalistic pieces and letters to the editor at the national and local level on topics including nuclear proliferation and disarmament, U.S.-Soviet relations, U.S. foreign policy, human rights and voter rights, holding politicians accountable for their actions. In 2007, he was awarded the Davidson College Distinguished Alumni Award for distinguished service to his profession and community.

He attended Davidson College Presbyterian Church as a student and again in his final decades.

In addition to his passion for government and foreign policy, he loved poetry. He wrote for family and friends and occasionally published his poems locally. His byline in the News of Davidson was “Through three careers — college professor, government official in Washington and journalism — Bill Jackson has enjoyed poetry more than prose.” He drew inspiration from the ocean and his favorite place Sunset Beach, where he treasured time with family and friends. He loved writing poetry about and with his granddaughter and kindred spirit, Beatrice. He frequently brought her to the Soda Shop in Davidson, where he was a regular, visiting with old friends and making new ones.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Judith Jackson; son, James Andrew Jackson; daughter, Elizabeth Jackson (husband, Seth Chadbourne); and granddaughter, Beatrice Chadbourne, of Davidson; sister, Jane Ellen Jackson and honorary sister, Juliana Dyson, of Stallings; sister-in-law, Patricia Jackson, of Carthage; sister-in-law, Diane Fletcher Mahoney, of Waynesboro, Va.; and five nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, J. Elvin Jackson.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 18, at 3 p.m., at Davidson College Presbyterian Church (streamed on YouTube), and on Saturday, Aug. 1, at 2 p.m., at West End Presbyterian Church, with receptions following.

Grant McGuffin Sharp, former pastor of the First Presbyterian Church and minister to all in the community, died June 7, 2026, at home after a period of declining health. He was 91 years old. Born in Detroit, MI to proud Canadian parents, Mildred McGuffin Sharp and George Grant Sharp, on October 11, 1934, he moved with them at age 5 to Deland, FL. After graduation from Deland High School in 1952, he attended both Davidson College and Union Theological Seminary, graduating in 1956 and 1959 respectively. 

Beginning his pastoral career at Allison Creek Presbyterian Church in York, SC in 1959, he then went on to subsequent pastorates at Highland Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville, NC, Trinity Presbyterian Church in Laurinburg, NC, First Presbyterian Church in Dunn, NC, and First Presbyterian Church in Statesville, NC. After retiring in 1996, Grant continued in service to pastorates at the International Protestant Church in Brussels, Belgium, Tabor Presbyterian Church in Olin, NC, and Cameron Presbyterian Church in Statesville, NC. He retired finally in 2021 and was once quoted saying, “I have felt called to this life of service and abundantly blessed in the calling.” 

Grant was a gifted worship leader. His very physical presence in the pulpit – his erect posture, his lustrous red robe, his resounding voice, his judicious use of the pregnant pause – inspired reverence. During hymns, his strong voice amplified the passion of all the other voices in the sanctuary. He truly loved music and always made it entirely vital to each service. Never did he let the congregation forget the centrality of the Word and the Sacraments. His sermons reflected a strong belief in his own words about his faith in Jesus Christ, his life and the gift of resurrection. And thusly inspired reassurance to all. 

Worship and pastoral care were Grant’s greatest strengths in his ministry. People will always remember his friendship and compassionate interest in people – no matter the circumstances. He was warm and comfortable to be with, even in the most challenging personal situations. Able to ease with a smile and a quirky comment, he inspired a rare trust and confidence. He spent countless hours visiting and listening – in the hospital, in homes, in offices. Grant taught the gift of presence. 

His congregation will always remember his benediction, “Go now remembering what we have done here. Go now remembering what God has done …You are God’s loved, chosen, forgiven and empowered people.” It was a potent reminder that God was in the place of worship. The members of all of his congregations will remember what Grant Sharp has done in their presence, reminding us to live accepting these God-given gifts. 

Grant is survived by his loving and beloved wife of 66 years, Carolyn Herman Sharp originally from LaGrange, GA; his children Emily Sharp Robinson of Charlotte, NC, Daniel Carey Sharp and wife Susan of Statesville, NC; his grandchildren Alexander Reid Sharp and wife Erika of Fayetteville, GA, Carolyn Bailey Robinson of Atlanta, GA, Miller Peterson Robinson, Jr. of Columbus, GA, John Murray Sharp and wife Molly of Fuquay-Varina, NC, and Thomas Grant Robinson of San Francisco, CA; great-grandchildren Davis Reid Sharp, Austin James Sharp, and Cooper Ryan Sharp all of Fayetteville, GA. 

A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 13 at 2:00 pm at the First Presbyterian Church, 125 N. Meeting Street, Statesville, NC. You may access the livestream on the church website, fpcstatesville.org. The family will visit with friends following the service at the church. Private burial will be at Oakwood Cemetery, Statesville, NC. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The McGuffin Music Fund at First Presbyterian Church (address above), or to Hospice and Palliative Care of Iredell County, 2347 Simonton Road, Statesville, NC 28625, or to a charity of the donor’s choosing.