Category: General

William Taliaferro Thompson III, passed away peacefully on September 2, 2026, surrounded by his family. A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, Tee lived his life with integrity, kindness, and a strong sense of faith.

Born in Richmond, Va., on February 8, 1943, to W. Taliaferro Thompson, Jr. and Jessie Gresham Baker Thompson, Tee graduated from St. Christopher’s School and Davidson College and remained an active alumnus of both throughout his life. Tee began a long and fulfilling career as a financial adviser. He co-founded Financial Corporation of Virginia and later went on to manage the Richmond office of A.G.Edwards, now Wells Fargo.

Tee is survived by his loving wife, Carey McKenney Thompson; his children, Carey Thompson Viego (Fernando), Sarah Thompson Mayfield (Jack), Anne Taliaferro Thompson Elam (Roe), and William Taliaferro “Tee” Thompson V; his grandchildren, Julia and Albert Viego, Oscar, Claiborne, and Henry Elam, and Alston Mayfield; and his step-grandchildren, Jackson and Henley Mayfield. He is also survived by his sister, Jessie Thompson Krusen (Andy) of Tampa; his brother, Addison Baker Thompson; his sister-in-law, Sue Thompson; his sister-in-law, Sylvia McKenney; and many beloved cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother-in-law, Gordon McKenney.

Faith was an important part of Tee’s life. He was deeply influenced by his grandparents, Anne McIlwaine Thompson and William Taliaferro Thompson, Sr., a Presbyterian minister and professor at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond. Tee’s connection to the Seminary continued throughout his life. He grew up in First Presbyterian Church and remained an active member for much of his adulthood, serving as both a deacon and an elder and in other leadership roles. He later attended First Baptist Church, where he and Carey were active in the church community.

Tee served many organizations in various roles and was deeply committed to the institutions and causes he valued. He served as director and chairman of the Nemours Foundation; trustee of the Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust; trustee of Davidson College; trustee of Union Theological Seminary and the Presbyterian School of Christian Education, where he also chaired the Endowment Committee; Rector (Chairman) and member of the Board of Visitors (trustees) of Longwood University.; and trustee of the Longwood University Foundation.

Tee loved being outside hunting, fishing, and sailing with family and friends. He had a gift for telling stories and sharing family history and anecdotes. Striving each day to do something positive, he did so with empathy, compassion, and care for others. But his greatest joy was his family and especially his marriage of 56 years to his wife, Carey.

Tee’s family extends its deepest gratitude to the many nurses and caregivers who cared for him with such kindness and compassion, especially Selina Johnson and Vickie Boone.

A memorial service will be held in the Chapel of Richmond’s First Baptist Church on Friday, September 18, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to MCV Foundation or the Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Fund at VCU.

Elizabeth “Lisa” Clark Neely, 60, of Charlotte, North Carolina, passed away on August 19, 2026.

Lisa was born in Charlotte at Presbyterian Hospital, the daughter of Julian “Jerry” Jerome Clark Jr. and Elizabeth “Woody” Bradford Clark. She grew up on Cloverfield Road in Charlotte, graduated from Davidson College in 1988, and earned a Master of Healthcare Administration degree from the Medical College of Virginia in 1996.

Lisa began her career at North Carolina National Bank, but quickly did something considerably more characteristic: she traveled the world for two years. Graduate school and a career in healthcare consulting followed. She eventually returned to Bank of America, where she taught financial literacy. Throughout those chapters ran some of the same threads: curiosity, learning, adventure, and love for others.

A timeline of schools and jobs only begins to tell Lisa’s story. The center of her life was the family she built with her husband, Doug, and their children, Sarah, Connor, and Elizabeth “Biz,” her extended family, and a large group of friends.

The Lisa We Knew

Lisa possessed the kind of enthusiasm that could turn someone else’s spontaneous idea into a family adventure. When Sarah once called her mother with the impulsive idea of getting a dog, Lisa did not respond with a list of reasons why it might be impractical. Her answer was immediate: “Do it. We will figure it out.”

That instinct to say yes, embrace the moment, and figure out the details afterward was ingrained in Lisa.

It also helps explain why she saw so much of the world. On one adventure in Australia with her brother Andy, the money began to run short. Lisa’s solution was to sell dried flowers door to door to finance the next leg of the journey, while Andy set off to try to sell their car. For Lisa, travel was not simply about reaching a destination. There was adventure to be found in figuring out how to keep going.

What Mattered to Lisa

Some of her favorite places were close to home and part of the rhythm of everyday life: the Bridge Center, the Booty Loop, and Lake Norman, especially the causeway where the lake stretched out on both sides and the sunset seemed to take over the horizon. Litchfield Beach became part of the geography of family life. Other beloved places reflected the traveler in her: the peaks of Nepal; far-flung corners of Southeast Asia; the blue waters of Lake Bled in Slovenia; Paris and the south of France, and the botanical gardens in Richmond.

But the places themselves were only part of it. What mattered were the people with whom Lisa experienced them. Travel, dancing, family gatherings, friendships, and spontaneous adventures were all ways of doing something Lisa seemed to understand instinctively: being present for the lives of the people she loved.

Her devotion to her family often showed itself not in grand gestures, but in countless small acts of attention. She noticed things. She remembered things. And she was ready to help solve whatever problem came next.

Family

Lisa was preceded in death by her father, Julian Jerome “Jerry” Clark Jr.

She is survived by her husband, Douglas Neely; their children, Sarah (Timmy), Connor, and Elizabeth “Biz,”; her mother, Elizabeth “Woody” Bradford Clark; her sister, Mary Attaway (Joe); her brother, Andy Clark (Lauri); many beloved nieces and nephews; and Uncle Billy and Vero.

Reflection

The world was something Lisa wanted to experience fully: to travel through, to dance through, to share with friends, and above all to experience with her family. For those fortunate enough to have shared some part of that journey with her, there are stories that will be told for many years to come.

And whenever the opportunity presents itself to take the trip, get the dog, help a friend, or simply dance, Lisa left some pretty good advice:

“Do it. We will figure it out.”

Service

A memorial service in celebration of Lisa’s life and resurrection will be held on Saturday, August 22, 2026 at 11:00 AM at First Presbyterian Church, 200 W. Trade St., Charlotte, NC. Visitation with family and friends will be after the service in the Wood Fellowship Hall adjacent to the sanctuary. The service will be live-streamed and can be watched at the following link: https://firstpres-charlotte.org/watch/

Memorial contributions may be made to the Local Outreach Fund at First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte.

Dr. Ralph “Peery” Grant, Jr. died on July 26, 2026 at Lanier Village Estates in Gainesville, Georgia at the age of 86.

Peery was married for 53 years to his devoted wife, Nancy Gardner Grant, who preceded him in death in 2015. They were married in Kingsport, Tennessee in 1962.

Peery is lovingly remembered by his two surviving daughters and their families: Tracy Grant Wade and husband, Bob Wade, of Highlands, NC; also Bob’s daughter, Heather Lammie (Jacob) and daughter, Charlotte, of Johns Creek, GA; and Bob’s son, Chris Wade; Susan Grant Traxler, MD and husband, Malcolm Traxler, Jr, MD and their children, Malone and Grant, of Cumming, GA. Peery’s youngest daughter, Amanda, preceded him in death in 2022 after a long battle with breast cancer, and Amanda’s surviving children, Grant and Sofia, reside in Mount Holly, NC with their father, Renato Edwards.

Peery was born in Greenville, SC in 1939. He graduated from Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport, Tennessee in 1957. He went on to graduate from Davidson College (Davidson, NC) in 1961, and later from Emory School of Medicine in 1965. He ultimately completed his Psychiatry residency at Emory as well. He later completed a Psychoanalytic fellowship at Columbia University in New York. He remained in private practice and served as an assistant professor at Emory University until he retired at the age of 71.

Peery loved sailing, reading and fine wine for most of his adult life, but his greatest joy was his family. The mountain cabin he and Nancy lovingly built in Wolf Laurel, North Carolina in 1996, was his favorite place to spend time with family and friends.

The family plans to hold a private service. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that memorial donations be made to Cure PSP, a charity that remained important to Peery after Nancy’s death from PSP. Donations may be mailed to Cure PSP, 325 Hudson Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10013 or online at https://www.psp.org/ways-to-give.

Robert William Morrison, Jr. died June 23, 2026 at the age of 87. He was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina. Bob and his parents attended Washington Street Methodist Church. It was in the church’s infant nursery where he unknowingly met the love of his life, Dicky McCants. Bob and Dicky returned to Washington Street to be married in 1961 and were blessed with 49 years of marriage.

Bob attended Dreher High school in Columbia and played the clarinet in the marching band. He graduated from Davidson College in 1960 having received his degree in Chemistry. After Davidson, he attended graduate school at Princeton University where he earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry.

Bob and Dicky moved to Raleigh in 1964 where he began his first job at Chemstrand Research Center, Inc. (Monsanto). In 1968, he served as Visiting Faculty in the Department of Chemistry at North Carolina State University. While continuing to teach the evening course in organic chemistry at NC State, Bob joined Burroughs Wellcome Co. in 1969. He initially held the role of “Burroughs Welcome South” before the organization moved to the Research Triangle Park. Bob spent 26 years in research at Burroughs Wellcome where he became Director of the Division of Organic Chemistry. He later assumed the international role of Vice President of Bioanalytical Sciences with staff, laboratories and residences in the Research Triangle and in Beckenham, Kent (U.K.).

After retirement from Burroughs Wellcome in 1995, he returned to NC State to serve for the next eight years in several administrative roles for the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. During these later years at NC State, Bob derived much pleasure from nurturing and counseling students about life in the real world of science, business, and their career choices. One student put it this way, “You have aided me and many students before me, leveling our heads and preparing us for the big world beyond. The ivory tower can be difficult to leap from, but you have built a slide that we can use to land softly.”

Outside of his professional life, Bob was always finding things to nurture – whether a melody on his piano, a friendship, or a flower in his garden. His career, although accomplished, was only a small portion of what defined him.

Bob was an active member of Hayes Barton United Methodist Church. As Lay Leader he served on the finance committee and the church council. He was a member of the choir and the handbell choir. He participated in mission trips to Chile (1979), Haiti, and Zambia (both in 1997).

Music was a lifelong passion, and he found deep happiness in playing the piano as well as attending opera and symphony performances. His love for the arts extended into service, including leadership roles on the Board of Directors for the Opera Company of North Carolina (Chairman), North Carolina Opera, and the North Carolina Master Chorale. He was also a dedicated attendee of the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Bob was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great‑grandfather, and he created a home where family was central. He was there for milestones, celebrations, and the quiet moments in between. He found joy in the everyday – tending to his roses, working out in the gym with his trainers, or delving into a good mystery novel. World travel highlighted Dicky and Bob’s life together and Bob continued this love with many cruises in his later years.

He was predeceased by his parents, Robert W. Morrison, Sr. and Marguerite Lewis Morrison and by his wife, Annie Dick (Dicky) McCants Morrison. He is survived by daughters Ann Nelson (Bill) of Raleigh and Trina Holt (Michael) of Burlington and also his grandchildren Brad Nelson (Andrew) of Wake Forest, Robert Nelson (Allie) of Raleigh, Emma Maggi (Phil) of Burlington and Mandy Rosenblum (Justin) of Charlotte. His great-grandchildren are Bella and Mikey Maggi of Burlington.

A memorial service will be held at Hayes Barton United Methodist Church on July 11, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. The family will receive friends after the service. Suggested memorials include the Bob and Dicky Morrison Undergraduate Scholarship in Chemical Sciences Endowment (c/o NC State University College of Sciences Foundation, Campus Box 8118, Raleigh, NC 27695) or The Morrison Endowment for Special Music at Hayes Barton United Methodist Church (2209 Fairview Rd., Raleigh, NC 27608-2240).

The family would like to express their great appreciation to the loving and caring staff at the Cypress of Raleigh’s Rosewood Health Center. Additional thanks is extended to Liberty Hospice.