Category: 1974

John McDermott Monaghan, Jr., 70, passed away November 12, 2022, after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s Disease. John was born May 14, 1952, in Fayetteville, N.C. to his loving parents Sara Weatherly Monaghan and John McDermott Monaghan, Sr. John dearly loved his hometown, where his father’s family lived for 150 years.

John was a proud graduate of Terry Sanford High School, Davidson College (Go Wildcats!), and earned a MPA from NCSU.

Beyond John’s academic and corporate successes, he was a loving husband to Cathy Constant Monaghan for 43 years. John was Dad to Katherine Monaghan Nisbet (husband Thomas), and Ann Clark Monaghan, and he was an outstanding “Daddy J” to Thomas Gluyas Nisbet IV (Ford) and John McDermott Nisbet (Mac), all of Raleigh.

John was a hands-on guy – a Mr. Fix It, and he was always there with his tools ready to work. He was a happy, dedicated family man, eager to lend a hand. His quiet, compassionate, witty persona helped John make and keep friends for a lifetime.

John’s professional career was long and varied with unique duties ranging from city government to downtown revitalization, and then the natural gas industry. He worked for the City of Fayetteville as Assistant City Manager, Downtown Revitalization Director, and as President of Fayetteville Progress. A career change took John to North Carolina Natural Gas, Carolina Power and Light, Progress Energy, and finally Piedmont Natural Gas, where he worked in governmental affairs until retirement.

He was passionate about figuring out how to make things in the world work better. This was true throughout his life − from restructuring how to best manage garbage pickup, to routing natural gas through a maze of pipelines from the Gulf of Mexico during a rare deep-south blizzard so that his beloved Tar Heel State’s residents could heat their homes and industries didn’t have to shut down.

John was a genuinely smart guy who loved a challenge. He was equally comfortable fishing with friends off the N.C. coast or on a drilling rig in the Gulf as he was giving a presentation to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington D.C. Upon John’s early retirement from Piedmont Natural Gas, he was awarded membership in the Order of the Longleaf Pine, a high honor for North Carolinians.

Although he received numerous awards in his career, John was most proud to be called Dad and Daddy J. Daddy J enjoyed digging in the dirt and playing with trucks with his grand boys, paying homage to his own childhood passion. He was thrilled to spend time at the coast, in pursuit of his favorite seafood, or in the N.C. mountains with friends or family. From classical to New Orleans jazz to classic rock, John loved all music and never argued about the cost of concert tickets. He enjoyed travel, but anywhere in the Tar Heel State was always a top destination. John claimed to have played “the worst rounds of golf on the best courses” in the country. His dry wit and sense of humor got John through many sticky situations and endeared him to friends and coworkers alike.

Church was also an important element of John’s life. He was a spiritual man who loved sharing his faith. From leading youth group camping trips to his time serving the church vestry at St. Johns in Fayetteville, John was an ever-present source of strength and wisdom. When his career took him to Raleigh, the Monaghan’s found their home at Christ Church, where he again lent a hand whenever needed.

Our family wishes to thank the staff at The Cardinal at North Hills, for the love, patience, and daily care shown to John for the past 14 months of his residence there. They are truly angels without wings.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at Christ Church, 120 East Edenton St., Raleigh, on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at 2 p.m., with a reception following in the parish hall.

In lieu of flowers, please consider giving to one of John’s favorite organizations in his memory: Christ Episcopal Church, 120 E. Edenton St., Raleigh, NC 27601 (https://ccral.org/give/memorial-honorarium/); Cumberland County Foundation, 308 Green St., Fayetteville, NC 28301 (https://www.cumberlandcf.org/give/give-now.html); St. John’s Episcopal Church, 302 Green St., Fayetteville, NC 28301 (https://www.stjohnsnc.org); or St. Saviour’s Center, 616 Tucker St., Raleigh, NC 27603 (https://www.saintsaviourcenter.org/donate/).

John Hines was born on November 28, 1952, at Alexandria Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia, and entered into eternal rest on September 21, 2022. John was pre-deceased by his parents, Samuel M. Hines and Rachel Carroll Hines. He is survived by his brother, Samuel M. Hines, Jr. and his sister-in-law, Laura H. Hines; his niece, Catherine Hines-McCormack and her husband, Albert McCormack; and his grand-nephew, Samuel A. McCormack.

John was raised at 3309 Alabama Avenue in Alexandria, VA, and although he moved to Charleston, SC, in 2007 following his father’s death, he remained involved with the lives of his dear friends on Alabama Avenue, all of whom fondly referred to him as the Mayor of Alabama Avenue.

He was a member of Grace Episcopal Church in Alexandria for over fifty years. He attended George Mason Elementary and T.C. Williams High School, graduating there in 1970. He then went to Davidson College and received his AB degree in French in 1974. He returned to Alabama Avenue in 1974 and lived with his parents while he began his career. John worked for the National Academy of Sciences where he was the Supervisor of Documents for the Survey of Earned Doctorates. He was with the National Academy for twenty-three years before retiring.

John was loved by so many family members and friends. He was a gentle, gregarious, social, and deeply caring person who made friends instantly. He was known by his friends by the attention he gave to their lives by calling, emailing, and sending greeting cards on all occasions. He was Hallmark Cards best customer! John kept in touch with so many people and he also helped them connect with one another. He will forever be remembered by his family and friends for his sly wit, great sense of humor and unwavering loyalty. He was our family historian and was the font of all memories for us. We will forever miss his special phrases and questions he would always say to us when we visited or talked on the phone: “Start from the beginning. Tell me the news.”

Visitation will be held at the J. Henry Stuhr, Inc., West Ashley Chapel, 3360 Glenn McConnell Parkway, Charleston, SC 29414 on Monday, September 26 from 5-7 pm. Burial services will be in Wilmington, NC, at Oakdale Cemetery. There will be a Visitation at Andrews Mortuary, 1617 Market Street, Wilmington, NC, on Saturday, October 1, from 2-3 prior to his burial. Visit our guestbook at legacy.com/obituaries/charleston

J. Bruce Abele, M.D., 67, of Dallas, Texas, formerly of Dubuque, passed away on Friday, September 6, 2019, at T. Boone Pickens Palliative Care Center in Dallas. 

A memorial service will be held Friday, September 13, 2019, at 4p.m. at the Reflection Chapel at the Pickens Palliative Care Center. Burial will be at a later date in Boonville, Mo. 

He was born July 3, 1952, in New Haven, Conn., son of William A. Abele, M.D., and Joyce Abele. Dr. Abele grew up in Boonville and was a 1974 graduate of Davidson College in North Carolina.

Bruce and Marta Jane Iven were joined in marriage on July 3, 1976, in Enid, Okla. Dr. Abele earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1984 and served his residency at Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia from 1984 until 1987.

Like his father, Bruce specialized in internal medicine, and upon completing his training he continued the Boonville practice of his retiring father. In 1989, Bruce and his family relocated to Dubuque, where he joined Medical Associates Clinic, until his retirement in February 2016. 

Over the years of dedicated professional service, countless patients received highly skilled and compassionate care from Dr. Bruce Abele. Consistent with his commitment to the field of medicine, Bruce elected to participate in the UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Willed Body Program for medical education and research in Dallas. 

Dr. Abele is survived by Marta J. Abele, Ph.D., his loving wife of 43 years; his devoted children, son Adam, and daughter, Elizabeth (Will Swan); and his adored granddaughters, Lucy Jane Swan, and Emma Kate Swan, of Dallas. His family was Bruce’s proudest accomplishment.

Also, surviving are brothers, Douglas Abele, of Boonville, Christopher Abele, of Kansas City, and Andrew Abele, of St. Louis; sister-in-law, Suzanne Shearer; and brother-in-law, Patrick Iven, both of Dallas. Bruce also immeasurably enhanced the lives of his extended families, a close contingent of fellow Davison alums, his medical colleagues and other dear friends. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please consider a donation to the American Red Cross, to the Medical Associates Clinic Foundation or to the University of Dubuque.

 Copyright (c) 2019 Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA)

Joseph “Joe” Maurice Souther, Jr., 67, of Asheville, died Monday, July 29, 2019, at St. Joseph Campus of Mission Hospitals.

A native of Buncombe County, he was a son of the late Joseph Maurice Souther, Sr. and Frances Dotson Souther.

Joe was a 1970 graduate of Asheville High School where he excelled in academics, particularly math and science.

He graduated from Davidson College in 1974. After working with his father in home design and construction for several years, he returned to school and graduated with honors in mechanical engineering from the University of Tennessee in 1983. His enthusiasm for the Tennessee Volunteers developed during his time at UT and everyone who knew him knew what a loyal fan he was. The next year he began a career in the paper industry in Canton, NC where he worked until his retirement.

An avid golfer, Joe enjoyed the game and his many friends at Asheville Country Club where he was a member for over 25 years.

His true passion was recreational target shooting. He earned many accolades and awards for his excellence in the sport. He was a member of the Biltmore Estate Sporting Clays Club, Buncombe County Wildlife Club and the Polk County Gun Club. Joe gained much pleasure from playing his guitars and listening to guitar music. He was a member of Central United Methodist Church.

He is survived by his wife, Diane S. Souther; one daughter, Kiana Miles (Jeff) of Rabun Gap, GA; one son, Kirkland Ahrens (Jackie) of Boston, MA; one sister, Brenda Waugh (Randy) of Winston-Salem, NC; five grandchildren, Adelaide, Max and Eloise Ahrens and Lia and Ali Miles; two nephews, Brian and Mark Waugh; one niece, Kathryn Ruckart as well as several aunts, uncles and cousins.

A Celebration of Joe’s life will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, August 3, 2019 at Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian. His family will receive friends at the funeral home immediately following the service

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Joe’s memory to either The Leukemia And Lymphoma Society (www.lls.org) or to Cancer Care of Western North Carolina (www.cancercareofwnc.com).

To leave a message of comfort or to share a memory with the family, please visit Joe’s obituary at www.grocefuneralhome.com.

Published in Asheville Citizen-Times on Jul. 31, 2019.