Feb. 1 Obituaries of the Swannanoa Valley
Lydia Margaret Cavin Brigman
Swannanoa
Lydia Margaret Cavin Brigman, 84, of Swannanoa, passed away Friday, January 5, 2018.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held Thursday, February 8, 2018 at 11 a.m. in the chapel of Harwood Home for Funerals. Burial will be in Mountain View Memorial Park. Arrangements are in the care of Harwood Home for Funerals, harwoodhomeforfunerals.com.
Richard E. Rowland
Black Mountain
Richard E. Rowland (“Dick”), 85, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 19th, 2018 at his residence in Black Mountain, NC. He is survived by his wife Marilyn Wick Rowland, and his 3 children: Greg, Gwyn and Mark, and four grandchildren.
Dick was born on November 8, 1932 in Zanesville, Ohio to the late Paul and Katherine Shaw Rowland. He served in the US Army from 1956 to 1958 and graduated from Miami University (Ohio) with a degree in Business Administration in 1960. He was a competitive swimmer, earning places on swim teams in high school, the Army, and college. Swimming provided him with the chance to travel to various places in the county to compete, memories of which he cherished throughout his life.
Dick and Marilyn married in 1961 and began their married life in Dallas, Texas. In 1971, Dick and his family moved to Charlotte where he lived for almost 45 years. After moving to Charlotte, Dick continued his career in sales, later transitioning into residential real estate sales. Dick and Marilyn retired to Black Mountain in 2016.
Dick was a loyal member and trusted servant of Al-Anon for 42 years and guided many on their path to recovery.
The funeral service is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. on Saturday, February 3, 2018 at Caldwell Presbyterian Church, 1609 East 5th St, Charlotte, NC with a reception to follow at the church. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Dick’s life. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/
Penland Family Funeral Home is serving the Rowland family. The online memorial register is available at PenlandFamilyFuneralHome.com.
Philip Martin Garland
Asheville
Philip Martin Garland, age 68, passed peacefully on the morning of January 22, 2018 at his home in Asheville. Philip was born February 6, 1949 and spent the majority of his life in Western North Carolina.
He was the owner of Garland Brothers Inc., one of the region’s most successful excavating and trucking contractors and was a staple in the construction community. His work can be seen all over the Carolinas and some of his accomplishments include the I-40 and Highway 25A interchange, Rilandwell and Waterford Lakes in Fairview, the NC Arboretum in Asheville and a multitude of other residential, commercial and industrial projects. Philip was also an avid collector of classic cars and had a specific passion for “American Muscle.” He was a graduate of Charles D. Owen High School’s class of 1966 and East Tennessee State University’s class of 1971.
Philip is preceded in death by his father, Albert Clayton Garland and mother, Mary Elizabeth Garland. He is survived by his brothers, Marshall Clayton Garland and his wife, Susan Garland, and David Lindsey Garland; niece and great-nephews Elizabeth Lindsey Garland, Meyer Patrick Gregory and Silas Randal Garland; nephew Natt Garland; caregiver and companion, Tammy Ayers and their sons, Lattie Dean Honeycutt II and Asa Bryan Honeycutt.
Philip was loved and respected by many and will be deeply missed by all who knew him. A celebration of life will be planned for the spring and details will be announced at a later date. Arrangements by Harwood Home for Funerals.
Virginia Neville White
Black Mountain
On January 18, 2018 Virginia Neville White stepped into the glory of heaven, there to see her Savior face to face and to be reunited with her loved ones. As a member of a very prominent Presbyterian missionary family, Virginia Neville White lived a life worthy of emulation.
Virginia was born February 9, 1927 in Garanhuns, Pernambuco, Brazil to the late Dr. William Gordon Neville, II and Mary Lindsay Tennent Neville, missionaries to Brazil for 40 years. She received her early education in Brazil, attended and graduated from high school in Augusta, GA in 1945 and received her college degree from Erskine College in 1949.
She pursued her high calling as a teacher in the Atlanta, GA area. There she met and fell in love with the Rev. Robert Ashlin White. They married in 1968. In 1974, Bob was called as Associate Pastor at the Shandon Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC., where they enjoyed a significant life and ministry.
In the 1950s she was a house mother at Thornwell Orphanage in Clinton, SC. Then she moved to Decatur, Ga. There she was Primary Teacher at Decatur Presbyterian and assistant to Dr. Bruce Gordon at Emory Univ. Head of Romance Languages Dept. Next, she became a teacher in the Atlanta public schools, where she invited all her fourth-grade students to her wedding to Rev. Robert White.
Upon Bob's death in 1996, Virginia moved to Black Mountain, NC where she worked at the Conference Center until she retired to Givens Highland Farms in Black Mountain, NC. Throughout her life she was greatly admired, always liked by her many friends and deeply loved by both her immediate and her married family.
Having been preceded in death by her husband Bob and her sister, Susan Wingfield Neville, Virginia is survived and remembered by two brothers, William Gordon Neville III and Henry Tennent Neville; by two nephews, William Tennent Neville and Leverett Chase Neville; and by her niece, Mary Elizabeth Neville Martin. In addition, Virginia is survived by four stepchildren who loved and adored her: Dr. Robert Ashlin White III, William Dimmock White, Cary White Hayllar and Rev. John Hopkins White.
A memorial service for Virginia will be held at 10 a.m, February 9, 2018 at the Black Mountain Presbyterian Church. In lieu of violets (her favorite), help the children, youth and elderly.
Ben Franklin Turner
Black Mountain
Ben Franklin Turner, 85, of Black Mountain, passed away January 25, 2018.
Ben was born July 3, 1932 to the late Logan and Bertha Turner. He was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing. Ben was a veteran of the US Navy and served during the Korean War.
In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his sisters, Annabelle Price, Evelyn Oakes, and Betty Williams; and brothers, Herbert and Marvin Turner. Ben is survived by his wife, Myrtle Effler Turner; children, Cathy Turner, Bennie Turner, and Eddie Turner (Debbie Harvey); sister, Helen Jones; brother, Bill Turner; and granddaughter, Courtney Turner.
The family received friends Tuesday, January 30, 2018 from 6-8 p.m. at Harwood Home for Funerals. A celebration of life service will be held Wednesday, January 31, 2018 at 12 p.m. in the Chapel at the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery. Burial will follow in the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery. Arrangements by Harwood Home for Funerals.
Kay Drummond Waters
Black Mountain
Kay Drummond Waters was born on July 30, 1939 in her home town of Woodruff, South Carolina. Proceeding her in death is her husband, Wilburn Waters; her parents, Wade and Edith Drummond; and her brother, John Drummond.
Kay graduated Woodruff High School as a member of the class of 1958. She then went on to get her cosmetology training from Keller’s School of Hair Fashion in Spartanburg South Carolina. Following her graduation from Beauty school, she went to work with her mother who owned Eugene’s Beauty Shop in Woodruff.
In the early 60’s, she met and married her husband, Wilburn Waters of Black Mountain. Kay and Wilburn met though life-long friends. Kay and Wilburn married on May 3, 1963 and made their home here in Black Mountain.
Kay spent many fond hours in her garden here at her home, as well as her childhood home in Woodruff. She loved her friends and family and the First Baptist Church of Black Mountain which she was a faithful member. Kay was part owner along with her dear friend, Irene Miller, of Kay and Irene’s Beauty Isle on State Street. She worked for many years serving the ladies of Black Mountain with their hair and making wonderful friendships.
Kay is survived by her two children, Chris Waters and his wife, Kelli of Knoxville, Tennessee, and Amanda Waters Van Der Linde and her husband, Piet of Black Mountain.
Kay went home to be with her Heavenly Father on January 21, 2018. A celebration of life service was held at First Baptist Church of Black Mountain on January 25 at noon. Arrangements by Harwood Home for Funerals, harwoodhomeforfunerals.com.