Category: 1969

Dr. Kenneth Raynor Gallup Jr. “G Daddy”, 79, was released from his earthly body and passed away peacefully on August 11, 2026. Born on May 7, 1947, he was the eldest of two sons to Margaret Ella Farrar Gallup of Mount Holly and Kenneth Raynor Gallup Sr. of Fayetteville.

Ken was born and raised in Sanford, NC. A lifelong scholar and servant leader, Ken excelled academically from an early age, graduating as valedictorian of his high school class. He continued his education at Davidson College, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1969. He was awarded the prestigious Zachary Smith Reynolds Scholarship to attend medical school at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine, where he graduated in 1973. Ken stayed at Bowman Gray where he completed his residency in 1975, fellowship in 1977 and remained on faculty until 1980.

Dr. Gallup was triple board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, and Critical Care Medicine, a testament to his brilliance, discipline, and unwavering dedication to patient care.

In 1980, Dr. Gallup co founded Salem Chest Specialists in Winston Salem alongside Dr. William O’Neal. The practice remains a trusted pillar of the Winston-Salem community to this day. His passion for medicine was matched by an equally strong passion for business. He approached both with curiosity, discipline, and a drive to build meaningful, lasting institutions. That business acumen was evident when he helped co found PARTNERS National Health Plans of NC, a health maintenance organization that broadened his impact on healthcare delivery across the region.

Ken was known for his fun sense of humor, frequent joke telling and his love of a good pun. He delighted in repeating his favorite lines, enjoyed his daily comics, and often joked about how much he “loved work, he could watch people work all day.”

Ken was also a passionate sports fan. He loved the Davidson Wildcats, cheered on the Carolina Panthers, and most of all, remained a proud and loyal Wake Forest Demon Deacon Club Member for decades, black and gold through and through.

Ken found deep joy in life’s simple and beautiful moments. He often spoke fondly of his father’s hardware store, Gallup’s Hardware, where he spent many summers learning the value of hard work and community. He loved to sail and spend time on the water, a place where he felt most at peace. He especially cherished family gatherings at Buffalo Lake in Sanford, NC, in the beloved lake house his father built in 1961. That home remains a sanctuary of laughter, tradition, and togetherness, memories that will forever live in the hearts of those he loved.

Ken found great joy in his family. He was preceded in death by his loving parents and brother, Albert Durant Gallup and stepson Travis Lee Lucas.

He is survived by his devoted wife, Sharon McMahan Gallup; daughter, Malinda Carole Gallup; son Kenneth Raynor Gallup III “Tripp” and wife Melanie Lawson Gallup; stepson Mark Edward Lucas and wife Randilee Rinkavage Lucas. He was a proud grandfather to Brielle Farrar Gallup, Kenneth Raynor Gallup IV “Kade”, Makayla Dawn Lucas, Avery Lee Lucas, and Kameron Travis Lucas. He is also survived by his sister in law, Linda Hoffman Gallup, along with extended family, colleagues, and friends who will forever carry his memory.

Dr. Gallup lived a life defined by intellect, humility, humor, and deep compassion. His legacy endures in the countless lives he healed, the students and colleagues he guided, the businesses he built, and the family he loved so dearly.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 PM on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at College Park Baptist Church, 1701 Polo Rd, Winston Salem, NC 27106, with Rev. Ramon E. Smith officiating. A visitation will follow the service in the church’s fellowship hall. A private graveside service is being held in honor of Ken. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Trellis Supportive Care (www.TrellisSupport.org) or the American Lung Association (American Lung Association).

Dr. David Robert Clemmons, thoughtful, funny and brilliant, died on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at his home in Chapel Hill, N.C. He was 78 years old.

Dave, known by many as “The Doc,” “Dr. Clemmons” or “Big D,” will be remembered for his inquisitive mind, sharp humor and tireless dedication to his work and family.

Dave was born in Nashville, TN, on May 19, 1947, to Robert Clemmons and Beatrice Winter. Along with his older sister, Lynne, he spent his childhood days playing many sports, becoming an Eagle Scout, delivering newspapers from his bike and playing the saxophone in his high school band.

Dave earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Davidson College before graduating with an M.D. with Honors from the UNC Chapel-Hill School of Medicine, which ignited his lifelong love for UNC Tar Heel athletics.

Following his medical degree, Dave embarked on a 50-plus year career in endocrinology. He spent his postgraduate years at Massachusetts General Hospital and Johns Hopkins before returning to Chapel Hill for a faculty appointment in 1980 as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine. For over 40 years at UNC, he distinguished himself as a bold researcher, passionate physician and committed educator.

Among his many honors, Dave served as the Sarah Graham Kenan Professor of Medicine beginning in 1995; additionally, he served as President of the Pituitary Society and President of the Growth Hormone Research Society. He was Division Chief of Endocrinology at UNC from 1990-2006 and Associate Chair for Research, Department of Medicine, from 1997-2007.

A dedicated researcher who presented at conferences across the globe, Dave made significant contributions across many facets of endocrine research. He is widely regarded as one of the central architects of modern insulin-like growth factor (IGF) biology. Dave produced a body of work that became among the most cited in endocrinology and molecular medicine worldwide.

Equally significant was his translational impact on clinical endocrinology, especially in growth hormone disorders and acromegaly. Dave shaped the field institutionally and sustained NIH-funded investigative leadership spanning more than three decades; the NIH recognized his outstanding research with a prestigious merit award in 2004. His receipt of the Endocrine Society’s Aurbach Award and recognition as one of the world’s most cited physician-scientists reflected the breadth and durability of his influence on both basic and clinical endocrinology.

A prolific author who contributed to 350 scholarly publications and journals over a 54-year period, Dave continued to author and co-author studies right up until his unexpected passing (his final publication will be released posthumously). He served on multiple editorial boards, including being a long-term editor of Endocrinology and Endocrine Reviews.

Dave was a compassionate physician who always found time for a medical consultation, even if it was outside the field of endocrinology. Patients from across North Carolina often brought him homegrown tomatoes, North Carolina BBQ and other offerings of thanks for his expert and patient care. If a friend, family member, acquaintance – or even a stranger – asked for his medical advice, he always said ‘yes’ — and he was often credited with changing and correcting treatments that ultimately saved lives.

Dave retired from UNC in 2019, but never fully retired – he spent 1-2 days a week in his lab, continuing his research efforts. When not at the hospital, Dave loved working in his yard. On any given Saturday, neighbors could find him blowing leaves, mowing the lawn, trimming hedges or cutting tree branches. He also loved hiking-he dreamt of hiking the entirety of the Appalachian Trail, and some of his happiest moments were walking through the forests and woods of the world.

For fifty-five years, Dave shared his life with his beloved wife, Kathy, who he met in Nashville. They married in 1971 and loved everything from traveling to new places together to going for walks around the neighborhood. They built a full, wonderful life in Chapel Hill with their two daughters, Amy and Anna Katherine. Dave worked six days a week but always found time to play games at the pool with his girls, coach them in basketball and softball, and dash around the house after dinner, their own version of tag. Dave loved to take his daughters hiking and camping; he instilled in them passions for inquisitive learning, serving their communities, adventuring in the world and finding beauty in nature’s simplest things.

Dave loved singing hymns in church and listening to music (his story of meeting Elvis Presley was one of his favorites). He taught himself to play the clarinet and the saxophone. He was a voracious reader of everything from scientific journals to the daily print copy of his local newspaper. Dave loved UNC sports, particularly Tar Heel men’s basketball; he held season tickets for 30-plus years, and he rarely thought the referees made the right call.

In his last two decades of life, he relished being a grandfather to three rambunctious, fun-loving boys: Alden, Connor and Sam. He delighted in spending time with them, whether walking to the creek to skip rocks, playing rubber band wars, or body-surfing waves at the North Carolina coast. Whenever he heard, “Can you play with me, Pop Pop?” he never hesitated to say yes.

His mischievous grin, sly commentary, and love of a good fart joke endeared him to both strangers and friends. He loved a bowl of vanilla ice cream smothered in Hershey’s chocolate syrup and a good couch nap after dinner.

Everyone who encountered Dave will remember his keen intellect, kind smile and sharp wit. We will miss him forever. Dave is survived by his wife, Kathy, his two children, Amy (husband Thaddeus) and Anna Katherine (husband Matthew), and his three grandsons: Alden, Connor and Sam.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to The American Diabetes Association (https://diabetes.org/) and the Blue Ridge Conservancy (https://blueridgeconservancy.org/).

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 16th at 11AM at University Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill.

Michael Friesinger LaPlante, 78 of Zanesville, OH, died Saturday, January 31, 2026, at his home following a sudden illness. He was born Monday, October 13, 1947, in Tucson, AZ the son of Walter and Ruthe (Friesinger) LaPlante. He married Catherine (Kenzie) LaPlante on Saturday, June 27, 1970, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Homewood, IL, and was a dedicated member of St. Nicholas Catholic Church.

He was a 1965 graduate of Zanesville High School, and a 1969 graduate of Davidson College. Michael served his country as a veteran of the United States Army. While serving as a linguist in the Army Security Agency in West Berlin, Germany, he earned a master’s degree in international relations from Boston University, and after his service, a doctorate in medieval history from the University of Chicago.

He returned to Zanesville and worked with his father and brother at the family business, Friesinger’s Inc., where he designed and fabricated museum quality wrought iron projects.

In addition to his wife, Catherine, Michael is survived by two sons, Charles (Connie) LaPlante, and Thomas LaPlante; grandchildren, Cora, Curtis, Clark and Colette; his brother, Peter (Connie) LaPlante; two sisters-in-law, Mary Clare (Crawford Honeycutt) Kenzie, and Amy (Chelgren) Kenzie; brothers-in-law, Patrick (Terri) Kenzie and William (Karen) Kenzie, and numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Michael was preceded in death by his brother, Kristopher LaPlante, and brother-in-law, Daniel Kenzie.

Friends may call 3:00 to 7:00 PM, Friday, February 6, 2026, at the Hillis Combs Funeral Home, 935 Forest Avenue, Zanesville, where a Christian Vigil will be held at 6:45 PM. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:30 AM, Saturday, February 7, 2026, at St. Nicholas Catholic Church, 925 East Main Street, Zanesville, with Fr. Martin J. Ralko as celebrant. Mike will be laid to rest in Zanesville Memorial Park with full military honors conducted by the United States Army, and VFW Post 1058. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Michael’s memory. To sign the online guestbook or leave a personal note of condolence please visit www.hilliscombsfh.com.

If you knew Joe Murphy, you have stories to share, most of which are hilarious. His former students reminisce about his truly original sense of humor and irreverence, but also about his brilliance, preparation, and rigorous attention to detail. His colleagues describe an immensely creative, yet “get ‘er done” collaborative work environment, one which was summed up by one of his favorite phrases: “You can’t be afraid to put a wheel in the ditch!” His daughters speak of his generosity and support, but also describe someone who was “always down for a bit of ridiculousness and who relished the theater of the absurd.” When he left us on December 27 at age 77 after a period of declining health, we lost a true original.

Joseph Richard Murphy was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and grew up on Navy bases across the United States. He attended Davidson College, where he excelled both in the classroom and on the football field and where he developed a cohort of lifelong friends. He went on to receive a Master of Arts in Teaching from Emory University in 1970, and he taught high school in Atlanta before returning to graduate school to receive a Master of Arts in Radio, Television, and Film from The University of Texas in 1975.

Joe spent his university teaching career at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, where he taught film, video, audio production, and education courses from 1975 to 2014 and led the Teaching Fellows Program there for ten years. A truly beloved teacher and mentor, he was known for his giant laugh and delight in human eccentricity. He invited his students to serve as crew and subjects for his documentary film projects, experiences that again and again students have described as transformative. Joe independently produced documentaries for over 35 years, and in 1989 and again in 1994, he was awarded a Visual Artist Fellowship by the N.C. Arts Council. He was an immensely curious person and used his signature interactive interview style to produce playful explorations of the ways people in our culture place extraordinary significance on the commonplace, such as their hair, cars, shoes, or food. His generosity and egalitarian ethos shone in everything he did, as he invited interview subjects, students, and friends alike to join him in his good-natured and mischievous take on life. In his later work he used his camera to explore his own aging and his lifelong battle with Type I diabetes. His programs have been broadcast nationally and internationally on public television, including the broadcast of Auto Bond, a documentary about our obsession with our automobiles, on the PBS series, POV. He is best known for a documentary on barbecue and culture, Slow Food: Fast Times, and a nationally aired documentary tribute on the life of Doc and Merle Watson. Segments of his work have aired on CBS’s “Sunday Morning,” ABC’s “World News Tonight,” The Learning Channel, and public television stations across the country. In the past several years, he resumed his interest in photography and picked up a paint brush to produce stunning oil paintings, primarily of the architectural landscapes from his extensive travels. His documentaries and other artistic work are available at www.murphyvideo.net.

Joe is survived by his wife, Rebbecca Alexander; daughters, Jennifer and Melanie; his grandson, Vann; his brothers, Mike and Johnny, and thousands of friends, colleagues, and former students whose vision of what is possible was revolutionized by knowing him.

Memorials for Joe may be sent to the Joe Murphy Educational Media Endowed Fellowship at Appalachian State University. A party in his honor is planned for Feb. 15 in the Boone, NC, area. Details are not yet finalized.

James Chalmers “Jim” Marrow, Jr., died peacefully at his home in Tarboro, North Carolina, on July 3, 2024, after a long illness. 

Born to Lucy Jane Gregory and James Chalmers Marrow on July 11, 1947, he graduated from The McCallie School in 1965, received his BA from Davidson College in 1969, and his J.D. from the University of North Carolina Law School in 1972. He then returned to Tarboro to practice law with Herbert Taylor, Creighton Brinson and Bill Aycock. Later he opened a private office in downtown Tarboro, where he continued to enjoy practicing law through his final days.

Jim met his wife, Mary Wilder “Molly” Owen while in law school, and they married on December 27, 1975. They welcomed two children, Helen Beckler in 1977, and Owen Chalmers in 1980. Equally welcomed and treasured have been their four grandchildren Johnny, George, Virginia and James. Called both GrandJim and Pop Pop, Jim relished every opportunity to spoil them and leave the regulations to their parents. 

Jim’s life was marked by his dedication to family, church and community, and a willingness to contribute to those around him. He was a lifelong member of Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church, serving in many capacities over the years, from elder to church committee member to behind-the-scenes contributor on church activities and projects. For more than forty years he served as the board appointed attorney for Tarboro Savings Bank. His long list of community service included work for the Edgecombe Charitable Foundation, the Edgecombe Memorial Library, the Furman Matthewson Trust, the Community Medicine Foundation, V.O.I.C.E., and the Edgecombe Community College Auditorium and Mobley Atrium. Jim enthusiastically supported Tarboro’s downtown businesses, restaurants and special activities, at one point becoming the owner of a pub on East Church Street he named The Underground, after London’s subway systems.

Jim’s interests were numerous and eclectic. He was a lifelong sports enthusiast,  especially for soccer, baseball, and sailing. After returning home he helped to start and for many years coached with Tarboro’s peewee soccer program, and he could be periodically spotted in regional baseball stadiums, where he kept close track of local athletes over the years as they grew up. He spent as much free time as possible at the cabin his parents built on the Pamlico River, whether sharing it with his family and friends or spending time alone on the porch. An avid sailor since childhood, at different points he also embraced kayaking, hiking, kite flying, bird watching, even bat watching, fine food, fine wine, and craft beers. He liked listening to the opera as well as bluegrass, vintage country and big band music; he regularly stayed up late watching old movies and even older TV shows, and his book choices ranged from poetry collections to Russian novels, criminal mysteries, and US military, Chinese and Edgecombe County history. Boredom was never a problem for Jim, whether his days were quiet or busy. Ever the optimist and known for his sense of humor and dry wit, he enjoyed his life to the fullest, a life that will be greatly missed both by his family and by the many people who shared it with him.

Jim is survived by his wife Molly, his daughter Helen Marrow (husband Michael Redd), his son Owen Marrow, his grandchildren, Johnny O’Briant and George, Virginia and James Redd, his brother Henry Marrow and his sister Harriet Marrow Neldon. 

A Memorial service will be held on Tuesday, July 30, 2024 at 3 PM at the Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church, 303 East St James Street, Tarboro , NC . Following the service the family will have a reception in the Burns Fellowship Hall greeting friends and family.

The family will be holding a private interment service.

The Marrow family would like to thank Sharon Dickens and her team at ECU Home Health & Hospice Services, and to share our deep gratitude for the many family members and friends who provided us with comfort and support and shared this journey with us.

In lieu of flowers, memorials honoring Jim’s memory may be made to either the Edgecombe Charitable Foundation, c/o North Carolina Community Foundation, 3737 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 460, Raleigh, NC  27612, also via https://www.nccommunityfoundation.org/affiliate/edgecombe-charitable-foundation or to Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church, 303 East Saint James Street, Tarboro, NC, 27886, also via https://www.howardmemorial.org/give.