Willard Ray Pope

Willard Ray "Whitey" Pope, age 82 of 1170 Bryan Davis Road, Creston, North Carolina passed away Wednesday morning, January 12, 2011, in Ashe Memorial Hospital. He was a son of the late Ed and Pansy Blevins Pope. Mr. Pope was of the Baptist faith. He was employed at Thomasville Furniture for 22 years and also worked in the sawmill industry for 30 years. His hobbies included hunting, fishing and playing the guitar. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one sister, Anna Pope, and three brothers, Thurman, Russ and Johnny Pope. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Vedie Vanover Pope, of the home; one son: Robert Pope of Jefferson, NC; two daughters: Mary Townsend of West Jefferson, NC and Nancy Ritchie of Creston, NC; five sisters: Vollyree Wilkason of Nebraska; Hazel Lewis and Lois Horne, both of Mountain city, TN; Irene Woodie of Wilkesboro, NC; Shirley Rash of Todd, NC; two brothers: Robert Delmar Pope, Creston, NC and Wilmer Pope of Lynchburg, VA; He is also survived by four grandchildren and three great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services for Willard Ray "Whitey" Pope will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. from the Charles B. Hux Memorial Chapel of Hux-Lipford Funeral Home on Saturday, January 15, 2011 with Minister Danny Farmer, Rev. John Elledge, and Rev. Spencer Roark officiating. The family will receive friends from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Saturday prior to the funeral service. Due to the inclement weather, the committal service will be held at the chapel with interment to follow in Pope Cemetery in Creston, NC. At other times friends may call at the home of Vedi Pope, 1170 Bryan Davis Road, Creston, NC.The family requests no flowers please. In lieu of flowers, the family request memorial contributions be made to the Pope family in care of the funeral home. Hux-Lipford Funeral Home is serving the Pope family.