| Notes |
- Chief Master Sgt. (retired) Roy L. Neatherly, Sr., 87, of Sam Wall Avenue, Morganton, died Monday, May 7, 2007, at Autumn Care in Drexel following several years of declining health.
He was born June 11, 1919, in Crackers Neck, Johnson County, Tenn., and was a son of the late Leeland and Myrtle Greene Neatherly.
He was a member of the U.S. Army Air Corps and the U.S. Air Force from 1940 until 1970, serving in the Pacific Theatre (which included Clark Field, the Philippines, Guadalcanal, and Australia) during World War II. Roy flew as crew chief on various bomber aircraft, and served as flight line chief for fighter, bomber, and transportation squadrons. His overseas tours included Saudi Arabia, Germany and the Netherlands. Roy participated in the Berlin Air Lift. His military decorations include the Air Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Humane Action Medal, National Defense Service medal with one Bronze Star, Presidential Unit Citation with four Oak Leaf Clusters, American Service Ribbon with one Bronze Star; and the Asiatic-Pacific Theatre Ribbon with four Bronze Stars.
Mr. Neatherly also participated in Cosmic Ray Research which was the forerunner of the modern space program.
He was a member of Mountain Grove United Methodist Church, serving on several church committees and active in the Methodist Men. Roy had been a member of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) since 1973 and served in various local and state capacities. He served on the advisory board and was an instructor with the Morganton/Burke Senior Citizen Center and was a member of the Burke County Council on Aging. Roy was involved with the Freedom High School Athletic Boosters and the Oak Hill Athletic Association. He was active in the Morganton/Burke County Crime Stoppers and assisted Morganton Public Safety. Mr. Neatherly was a volunteer usher at the City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium (CoMMA), and was named Burke's Best Volunteer in 1989. Roy had been a Ruritan Club member since 1977, serving as a board member, club vice president and club president and chaired several committees. He was elected many times to the position of zone governor, district cabinet member and district governor. He also served as a delegate to the National Convention, was elected to the National Board of Directors in 1985 and was appointed as the Ruritan Foundation Chairperson. Mr. Neatherly was a two-time recipient of the Tom Downing Award for outstanding service to Ruritan National. His hobbies included basket weaving, chair caning and woodworking.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Grace Lucille Williams Neatherly; sons, Roy L. Neatherly Jr. and Phillip Wayne Neatherly; a brother, R. Dean Neatherly; and sisters, Vona Ruth Neatherly and Nell Neatherly Miller.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Mountain Grove United Methodist Church.
Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
|
1919 - 2007 (87 years)
