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Carolyn ‘Michelle’ Adams Barnes

Ms. Carolyn “Michelle” Adams Barnes, 66, of Pfafftown passed away at her home on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021. Barnes was born in Forsyth County on Jan. 12, 1955. Barnes received an associate degree in business from King’s College in Charlotte. She loved spending time outdoors, especially in the mountains and in her garden. Barnes was an adventurous cook and enjoyed preparing meals for her family. She was humble and a faithful Christian.  She was a long-time member of Shiloh Lutheran Church. Barnes was preceded in death by her father, James Acey Adams. She is survived by her son, Matthew Barnes; former husband, David Barnes; mother, Margaret Collings Adams; and two sisters. A memorial service was held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021, at Shiloh Lutheran Church with Rev. Laura Wind officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the American Stroke Association, P.O. Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284.  Hayworth-Miller Silas Creek Chapel is serving the Barnes family.

Woodrow Wilson Carruthers Jr.

Woodrow Wilson Carruthers Jr., 83, went home to be with his Lord and savior on Dec. 17, 2021. He was born Sept. 21, 1938, in Greensboro to the late Ann Eason Scruggs and Woodrow Wilson Carruthers Sr. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Jewel; children, Baine Carruthers (Amy), Scott Carruthers (Melony), Paige Armstrong (Danny), Julie Winchester (Roy), step-children, Jennifer Hansell, Jay Human (Crystyl), Ashley Martin; sister, Sandra Browning (Herman), brother, Mike Carruthers (Dottie); and 12 grandchildren. His love and talent for baseball led him from being a star Little League pitcher, on to high school, N.C. State, semi pro ball in South Dakota and he signed with the Baltimore Orioles. He started his own company, Jewel Industries Inc, in 1988. He dedicated his business to the Lord and was blessed with success for 31 years. In addition to love for his family, he was a gifted woodworker, collector and repairer of clocks and watches. He was a man of honesty and integrity. The family would like to thank the Davie County Trellis Hospice Team and personal caregivers, Stella and Faith, for their loving care of Carruthers during the past few weeks. A celebration of life service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, at Hayworth-Miller Kinderton Chapel, 108 E. Kinderton Way in Advance. The family will receive friends from 1-2 p.m. prior to the service at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Trellis Supportive Care, 377 Hospital St., #103, Mocksville, NC 27028. Online condolences may be made at www.hayworth-miller.com .

Albert Ellis ‘Big Al’ Eidson

Mr. Albert Ellis “Big Al” Eidson, 91, of Advance passed away Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, at Trinity Elms. He was born Jan. 13, 1930, in Iredell County to the late John Albert Eidson and Jane Marian Ellis Eidson. Eidson served in the U.S. Army and had retired after 30 years of service as a security officer for Forsyth Medical Center. He is survived by his wife, Rebecca Farmer Eidson; sons, Dana Roseman (Jan) and Michael Eidson (Stacy); daughters, Jennie Copple (Randy) and Sharon McBride (Sean); six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Services will be held at a later date. Online condolences may be made at www.hayworth-miller.com .

Donald Lee Matney

Donald Lee Matney, 92, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021, at his home. He was born Oct. 20, 1929, in Greensboro to Bronson Sr. and Mary Jessie Rogers Matney. He was a North Carolina radio broadcaster for 55 years. He was a charter member of Unity Moravian Church where he taught Sunday school in the covenant class and sang in the choir. Matney was an accomplished pianist and vocalist. After retiring, he shared his love of music at local retirement and assisted-living communities with sing-alongs and also played the piano in the High Point Regional Hospital lobby for over 17 years where he was the first recipient of the Hilda Fountain Award of Excellence. Matney enjoyed performing in Little Theatre work and also authored his autobiography “Miracles — My Life (I Once Was Blind, But Now I Can See, Almost)” as a testimony of his Christian faith.

Matney attended the North Carolina School for the Blind (now The Governor Morehead School) in Raleigh through his freshman year. While there, he was taught piano, voice and violin, all the while honing his skills with a tin can and a broomstick pretending to be a radio broadcaster. Seven operations at Duke Hospital provided him enough limited vision to attend public school. He graduated from Waynesville High School in Waynesville.

For the first 22 years of his career, Matney worked at many secular radio stations around the state in various positions. He was on the front-line when rock ‘n roll hit the air waves, and he pioneered the first commercial Christian radio station (WGPL…Witnessing God’s Precious Love) in Winston-Salem. He remained in Christian radio for the next 33 years until his retirement from 94.1 (WWGL…We Witness God’s Love), Lexington.

In addition to being on the air in the late 1970s, he jumped at the opportunity to work for the N.C. News Network as a reporter. During his seven years there, Matney was privileged to interview Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George Bush, and also Dean Smith, Jimmy Valvano, Bobby Cremins and Mike Krzyzewski.   

Matney was an eternal optimist and a die-hard fan of both the N.C. State sports programs and the Atlanta Braves. He knew every restaurant from the coast to the mountains that served a good hotdog and was most comfortable at the piano and living his boyhood dream behind a radio mic.

In addition to his parents, Matney was preceded in death by his wife, Donna Minick Matney and his brothers, Bronson Jr. and Roger Matney.

Surviving are his wife of 27 years, Carol Keith Matney, and step-children Brian Keith (Connie) of Greensboro, Craig Keith of Charlotte, Robyn Keith (Samantha) of Nebo, Jeff Minick of Front Royal, Virginia, Penelope Burr (Bob) of Jacksonville, Florida, Doug Minick (Rosanne) of Raleigh, Becky Polonsky (Tom) of Fletcher, Jenny Riddle (Arnny) of Mocksville, and Chris Minick (Robin) of Waynesville; 20 grandchildren and 46 great-grandchildren.

The family wishes to thank his loving caregivers Tina Brown, Penelope and Bob Burr, Connie Keith, Robyn Keith and Samantha Keith…and special support friends Joyce Carden and Becky Surratt. In addition, the family would like to express their deep appreciation to Amedisys Hospice of Burlington, especially Karen, Serena and David for their compassionate care.

Memorial contributions may be made to Unity Moravian Church, 8300 Concord Church Road, Lewisville, NC 27023. Hayworth-Miller Funeral Home – Lewisville is assisting the family with the arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to www.hayworth-miller.com.

A celebration of life will be held at Unity Moravian Church in Lewisville at a later date.

William Gray Smith Sr.

Mr. William Gray Smith Sr., 73, of Mocksville departed this world Dec. 16, 2021, from the N.C. Veterans Nursing Home in Salisbury. He was born at home Aug. 2, 1948, the fifth child of the late James Kelly Smith and Lula Mae Gough Smith.

In addition to his parents, Smith is preceded in death by his sister, Mary Arvesta McEwen of Mocksville and two grandchildren. He is survived by children Michelle, Wendy, Tina, William Jr., and Nicole; 11 grandchildren; one great-grandson; three brothers: JK Smith, Jr. (Mary), Gerald Stephen Smith, and Naaman Smith, all of Mocksville, and sister, Julia Anne Jones Trivette (John) of Jonesville.

Smith had a great childhood with lots of family and church gatherings and was baptized at an early age. He gradated from Davie County High School and then served his country in the United States Army. After his tenure in the Army, Smith drove a truck for Roadway and Pilot. He enjoyed the outdoors and looking for treasures or something he could restore or repurpose.

The family would like to extend special thanks to the N.C. State Veterans Nursing Home in Salisbury for their excellent care during the past seven years, to Dr. Amin and Tiffany Ingold PA-C of Piedmont Family Medicine for ministering to his medical needs, to the Pruitt Health Hopsice of Wilkes, who were caring, helpful, and effective in William’s care from February of this year until his transition, and to family and friends for their continued prayers over the years.

Henry Harrison Warren Jr.

Mr. Henry Harrison Warren Jr., 87, of Clemmons passed away Monday, Dec. 13, 2021. He was born Dec. 2, 1934 in Wilkes County to Nannie Mae Shaver Warren and Henry Harrison Warren Sr. Warren served as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army after high school graduation. He retired after 32 years at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company then worked as a contractor for Universal Tobacco for several years afterwards. He was an active member of Center Grove Baptist Church for over 30 years where he faithfully and joyfully sang in the choir that he dearly loved. He enjoyed sports, especially ACC basketball and football and watched every Atlanta Braves baseball he could. Warren traveled the world extensively during his years with RJR and Universal, making friends wherever he went, on almost every continent. He was preceded in death by his parents; his five older sisters; daughter, Jane Louise Warren, and son, Joseph Franklin Warren. Surviving are his wife of 65 years, Frances B. Warren; daughters, Judy Herman (Mark), and Jan Warren; grandchildren, Katie Atwood (Graham), Thomas Harper (Joy), Andrew Harper (Katie), Grace Warren Rucker and Jackson Warren Rucker; great-grandchildren, Molly, Morgan, Henry (Katie) and Grayson (Tommy and Joy); and brother, Dr. Holland Warren. The family received friends from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021, at Hayworth-Miller Silas Creek Chapel.

Philip ‘Phil’ Cleatus Wiles

Philip “Phil” Cleatus Wiles, 59, passed away Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, in his home in Clemmons. Wiles was born in Hollywood, Florida, on Sept. 8, 1962. He was a kind person with unmatched wit and could make anyone laugh. He always found the humor in everything, no matter the situation. He attended nursing school at Forsyth Technical Community College, graduating in 1986. He worked as a registered nurse for 20 years and loved what he did. He was the first male nurse ever to work at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Baptist Medical Center. He loved helping people and was truly gifted in doing so. He was fiercely intelligent and was not afraid to show it, especially if you made a grammatical error around him.

He loved sports and was very athletic. In his teens and 20s, he competed in racquetball and was very successful. He won countless tournaments and was tremendously competitive. He loved the game of golf and savored every moment on the links with friends and family. Wiles was a New York Jets fan a since the early ‘70s. His favorite player of all time was Joe Namath and would spend every football season in head-to-toe Jets attire watching the games. He loved music, especially rock ‘n’ roll.

He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2003, but he never let it discourage him. He made every day count and was always up for anything. Perhaps the thing he enjoyed most, was his family. He adored his three grandchildren by which he was referred to as “Avo” and would have spent every second with them if he could have. Regular family get togethers his brother Garl’s house was a favorite of his. He could be found joking around with everyone, playing with all the kids, or just having a good time with the family. Wiles was preceded in death by father, Garl Sr., mother, Maria; and brother, Michael. He is survived by his siblings, Garl (Teresa), Karen (Dean), Mark (Taryn), Chris (Melanie), Cindy (Brian); children, Benjamin and Emily (Mickey); grandchildren Mason, Elias and Noah; step-mother Carrie Wiles Casey; and many nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021, at 6 p.m. at Vogler & Sons Funeral Home in Clemmons. The family would like to thank Vogler & Son’s Funeral Home and Chaplain Randy Hillman for their outstanding services. The family will receive friends after the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.