Obituaries

Celebrate and remember those from our precious alma mater who have passed. We send our deepest condolences to the families and friends.

Henry B. Warren

Henry B. WarrenHenry Brown Warren passed away peacefully at home on February 23, 2026. We give thanks for the 78 years of his blessed life. Henry was born on May 31, 1947, to the late Claude Warren and the late Geneva "Petey" Brown Warren. He was raised among the...

Lorraine M. Royster

Lorraine M. RoysterLorraine Mattero Royster, 75, of Shelby passed away on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at her home. Born in Cleveland County, on October 4, 1950, she was a daughter of the late James Armand Mattero and Evangeline Willingham Mattero. She was a graduate of...

Bill A. Melton

Bill A. MeltonWilliam Alexander Melton, Jr., affectionately known as Bill, was born on February 18, 1942, in Wadesboro, North Carolina. He was the beloved son of the late Lois and William Alexander Melton, Sr., and grew up alongside his brother, Bobby Lee Melton. From...
Val D. Burch

Val D. Burch

Val D. BurchVal Dean Burch 71, of Hendersonville NC died in a motorcycle accident near Hot Springs, NC on September 5, 2025. Left to cherish his memory is his wife of 47 years, Kim Hendricks Burch. He was born in Buncombe County to the late Boyd and Nell Burch and...

Carol E. Camenga

Carol E. Camenga

Carol E. CamengaCarol was born on August 25, 1953, in Coral Gables, Florida to Eugenia and Howard Harrison. The family relocated to Tryon, North Carolina and Carol graduated from the old Polk Central HS in 1971. Carol then attended Western Carolina University,...

Ryan E. McCurry

Ryan E. McCurry

Ryan E. McCurryEric 'Ryan' McCurry, age 44 of Charlotte NC, died August 11, 2025. He was born in Morganton NC on March 30, 1981 to Shirley Jean Buchanan (Crowe) and Eric Donald McCurry. Ryan attended Freedom High and earned a BA in Criminal Justice from Western...