John Lea, Sr.

John Howard Lea, Sr., 83, formerly of Gibsonville, died peacefully on Friday, April 10, 2009 at the Hospice Home after a period of declining health. Born May 15, 1925 in Caswell County, he was the son of the late John Howard Lea and the late Nancy Bea McMullen Lea, was the stepson of E.W. Boone of Gibsonville and was married to the late Ruby Pettigrew Lea, who died in 2001. After graduating from Gibsonville High School, he served in the U.S. Navy during WWII as an aviation machinist stationed in Guam, Siapan and the Tinnian Islands. He retired from Dixie Belle Textiles in Gibsonville after serving over 40 years as plant supervisor and he loved his work. He was a member of Gibsonville United Methodist Church and was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. Mr. Lea is survived by his four children, John Howard Lea, Jr. and his wife, Nancy, of Atlanta, GA, James Allen Lea and his wife, Sherry, of Graham, NC, David Luther Lea of Gibsonville, and Mary Kathryn Lea Montgomery and her husband, Steve, of Charlotte, NC; eight grandchildren, Asheton and Cameron Montgomery of Charlotte, Jillian, Jaimie and Maggie Lea of Graham, Michelle Lea of Colorado, Kim East of Atlanta and Angie Flynn of Nebraska; five great grandchildren, J.T., Ryan, Katelynn, Korey and Kerrigan; and his sister-in-law, Norma Boone Walker. He was preceded in death by his wife; parents; two brothers, Malcom Allen Lea and E. Wade Boone, Jr.; and one sister, Nancy Jo Boone Atkins. The funeral service will be conducted at 4:00 PM Sunday, April 12, 2009 at Gibsonville United Methodist Church by Dr. Jack Lemons. Interment will follow at Alamance Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 4-6 Saturday afternoon at Lowe Funeral Home and Crematory. Memorials may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Alamance-Caswell, 914 Chapel Hill Rd., Burlington, NC 27215. You may sign the online register book at www.lowefuneralhome.com