Category: 1975

Edward Laurance Womack, 73, passed away on August 7, 2026.

Ed was the son of Edward McCormick Womack and Laura Frances McArthur Womack and grew up with his sisters, Lynda, Jenny, and Susan. His father’s career took the family through Georgia, Alabama, and Florida before they eventually settled in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Athletics were an important part of Ed’s early life. He was a talented high school athlete and went on to play football at Davidson College, where he was a defensive back for the Wildcats. In 1972, he was named Southern Conference Player of the Week, and by his senior season he was recognized as one of the leaders of Davidson’s defense.

Football was part of his story, but the better measure of Ed was the way he lived the rest of his life.

Ed could be stoic. He could be stern. He usually wasn’t the person who needed to say a lot. But when something mattered, he showed up.

His Christian faith was also an important part of who he was. It gave him a foundation for how he approached his life, his family, and the people around him. He believed in caring for others, being generous with what he had, and doing what was right, often without needing recognition for it.

For 43 years, he and his wife, Lynn, built a life and family together. They raised two sons, Matthew married to Caty, and Kyle married to Jenny.

Ed loved his family in a way that was often more visible through his actions than his words. He was dependable, loyal, and generous. If you needed help, he was there. If something needed to be done, he did it.

His idea of family also extended far beyond the people who shared his last name.

If you were Ed’s friend, you were treated like family. If you were a friend of Matt or Kyle, the same rule applied. People were welcomed into his home and into his life without much ceremony. Over the years, more than a few people who started out simply as friends of his boys became part of the family in every way that mattered.

Later in life came a role that suited him particularly well: grandfather.

To Matt and Caty’s children, Hunter, Olivia, and Hayden, he was GrandEd.

To Kyle and Jenny’s daughters, Kinsley and Hayley, he was Old Man.

The names were different, but the relationship underneath them was the same. He loved his grandchildren, and they knew exactly who their grandfather was.

Ed is survived by his wife, Lynn; his sons, Matt and Kyle, and their wives, Caty and Jenny; his grandchildren, Hunter, Olivia, Hayden, Kinsley, and Hayley; and his sisters, Lynda Kenney and her husband Bob, Jenny, and Susan and her husband Tom.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward McCormick Womack and Laura Frances McArthur Womack.

Those who knew Ed will remember a man who was steady, sometimes stubborn, often quiet, and always willing to take care of the people he loved.

He taught his family something important without ever needing to make a speech about it: be there for your people.

Show up when it matters. Help when you can. Be generous. Make room for people. Treat your children’s friends as if they are your own.

That is how Ed lived, and it is a legacy his family will carry forward. His family also finds comfort in the Christian faith that was part of his life and in the promise that this goodbye is not the end.

We love you, Dad.

And we are going to miss you more than we know how to say.

On Thursday, May 8th, Thomas Braxton McKenzie, 73, died peacefully at home while surrounded by his children. He courageously and heroically battled leukemia for over 27 years, which contributed to a vascular disease that ultimately led to his passing.

Son of the late William Roberts McKenzie and Henrietta Walton McKenzie, Tommy was raised in High Point, North Carolina where he attended High Point Central High School. Upon graduation, Tommy went to Davidson College, where he played rugby and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. Following Davidson, Tommy entered the graduate program at the Sino-Soviet Institute at George Washington University. In 1977, after his time in Washington, D.C., Tommy moved to Greensboro, North Carolina. He then began a career in technology sales with Burroughs Corporation, which later became Unisys. He remained with Unisys for the entirety of his career, eventually retiring at the age of 62.

Tommy enjoyed many things throughout his full life, including a good round of golf, annual family vacations at the beach, and having a cold beverage in his backyard “Mediation Center” with his best friends whom he considered family. He especially loved taking walks through the neighborhood with his beloved dog, LaForte, who was always by his side.

Tommy is survived by his three much adored children, Marcy Rankin McKenzie, Thomas Braxton McKenzie, Jr., and Brian Jensen McKenzie; his brothers John Walton McKenzie (Kathy), Michael Murphy McKenzie, and William Roberts McKenzie, Jr. (Sally); a close circle of nieces and nephews with whom he shared a special bond, and many other endeared family members.

A celebration of life service will be held on Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 11:00 am at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Greensboro. A reception for family and friends will be held immediately following the service in the Haywood Duke Room.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (www.LLS.org) or to a charity of your choice.

Scott Buell, chemist, entrepreneur, armchair historian, family handyman, local polymath, dad-joke aficionado, husband, father, and grandfather, passed away Tuesday, February 27, 2024, in his home in Raleigh, NC. He was 71.

Born in Columbus, Ohio and raised on a corn farm in Sunbury, Ohio, his intelligence and curiosity were apparent from an early age. He continued his pursuit of knowledge of his own history getting into genealogy.

He earned a B.S. in chemistry from Davidson College, and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, where he met his wife, Jeanne. Scott’s gregarious and welcoming nature caught Jeanne’s eye, or more accurately, her ear, as he called out to her from down the hallway, “HEY! ARE YOU NEW?”. Their chemistry grew over the course of their studies and learning new things together like how to play Bridge (the card game), a bonding experience that would span their lives and deal them many happy memories with friends everywhere they lived. Sharing games and solving puzzles of all sorts was a source of enjoyment for the couple over their 43 years of marriage, whether it was a jigsaw puzzle, crossword, broken appliance, or piecing together a detailed travel itinerary.

After graduate school, they moved to New Jersey where Scott began his 29-year career in the pharmaceutical industry. They had 2 children, Nicole and Devin. Scott cultivated his children’s intelligence and instilled empathy, work ethic, and “corn”iosity in his children from an early age. “Ask good questions,” was a common salutation in the house as the kids headed to school. He loved sharing his science enthusiasm with his children and their classmates, performing science “magic” tricks in their classrooms for many years and recently at home for his grandsons.

Of course, his love of science wasn’t limited to labs and classrooms. An admirer of nature, the family traveled America, visiting 32 National Parks and countless campgrounds. He sought out unique events from hot air balloon festivals to total solar eclipses, an opportunity to hone his amateur photography skills. Scott also channeled his roots into one of his favorite pastimes of gardening. He loved exploring new varieties of vegetables to grow (getting the whole family hooked on a surprisingly delicious tiny tomato), sharing his bounty with family and friends, and nurturing his children’s green thumbs with his enthusiasm and encouragement.

An avid DIYer, Scott never met a home project he wasn’t eager to tackle himself, improving every room in his house and many in his children’s homes as well. Known for his deep research to ensure the work was done right, he owned nearly every tool imaginable and knew how to nail quality construction from tiling and plumbing to framing and flooring. Recent notable projects include a 300 sq. ft. treehouse for his grandsons and a secret doorway for his daughter, which was featured in the Washington Post.

During retirement, Scott embraced his philanthropic side. He volunteered with AARP, North Raleigh Ministries, Memory Cafe at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, and Camp Agape. Scott was also immensely proud to have established the Van Divender/Buell Scholarship at the University of Richmond, which his wife and daughter attended, to support students pursuing STEM degrees.

Good-natured, smart, generous, and funny, Scott was loved by all who knew him. He will be so greatly missed.

He is survived by his loving wife, Jeanne Van Divender; daughter, Nicole (Jim Cunningham); son, Devin (Katie); grandsons, Carson and Tanner; granddaughter, Ellery; sister, Tamara Caudy (Don); sister-in-law, Victoria Brookens Buell; and other family and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Hugh and Dolores Buell and brother, Terry Buell.

A Celebration of Life will be held in-person and live-streamed at 1 PM on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Raleigh, NC.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a contribution to North Raleigh Ministries, the University of Richmond Van Divender/Buell Scholarship Fund, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, or a charity of your choice.