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James Robert ‘Bobby’ Lane

James Robert “Bobby” Lane, 86, passed away at home on Wednesday, June 3, 2020. He was born on July 9, 1933, in Forsyth County to Dallas Gray and Ivy Edwards Lane.

He is preceded in death by and reunited in heaven with his parents; brothers, Gray Lane, Moir Lane, and Harold Lane; sisters, Quma (Pam) Powell, and Mary Maybell Jester; nephews Stevie Powell and Randy Lane; and niece Lynn Rydman.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Cora Lee (White) Lane; his son Mark Lane of Southport; his daughters Cathy Knapp (Chandler) of Lewisville, and Lori Adkins (Chad) of King; his grandchildren Holly Redding (Arthur) of Stephens City, Virginia; Casey Martin (David) of Ashburn, Virginia; Tyler Lane of Durham; Courtney Reese of Charlotte; and Collin Reese of Pfafftown; great-grandsons Oliver James and Winston Gray Redding; his brother Arley (Janet) of Lewisville and many loved nieces and nephews.

Lane was a veteran of the United States Army and honorably served his country in Korea with the 73rd Tank Battalion. He retired from RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company in 1989 after 33 years of service.

Lane accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and savior at the age of 13 and was a faithful follower of Christ for the remainder of his life. In previous years, Lane was a member of Immanuel Baptist and Vienna Baptist churches. He sang in the choir, taught Sunday school, directed the youth choir and various other positions of ministry. Bobby and Cora Lee chose Mt. Bethel Baptist Church as their final church home where Bobby was an active member until his death.

Lane was a charter member of the Lewisville Jaycees and was honored to receive the Faith in God Award. He had a life-long love of sports. He played football for Clemmons High School and softball as an adult. Lane began coaching young boys in sports when his son Mark became old enough to participate. He spent many years coaching teams in the Southwest Little League. He was instrumental in starting the Lewisville Titans Football Program, as well as a youth basketball program that included teams from surrounding communities. Many of these boys, long since adult men, have stayed in touch with him and expressed that he not only taught them the sport, but also respect, sportsmanship, and life lessons.

Lane was an enthusiastic gardener and a master wood craftsman, but his true passion was music. He was a self-taught musician and enjoyed bluegrass and gospel music. He loved to entertain and played guitar and sang with many bands over the years, most recently Cimarron. Lane closed every performance with the traditional hymn “I’ll Fly Away” — and now, he has.

Lane loved children and they all loved him. He was never too busy, too tired, or too old to play with them. His grandchildren called him Poppy and they have countless memories with him. From picking muscadines and gathering pecans, treasure hunts around the yard (where he dressed the part of the pirate), sleepovers and camping out, vacations together at White Lake, slow Christmas mornings, playing in the treehouse he built for them, and so many more.

A private graveside service will be held at Westlawn Gardens of Memory. The family is saddened that their extended family and friends cannot be included due to current circumstances. They look forward to a celebration of his life at a later date.

The family wishes to express their heartfelt gratitude to Pastor Bobby Watts for his faithfulness, and to his church family at Mt. Bethel Baptist Church for their love, support, and prayers. They also wish to express their sincere appreciation to his physician, Dr. Betsy English. She was never too busy to respond to phone calls, work Lane in for an urgent appointment, or smile at one more corny joke. The family would also like to thank American Legion Post #290 of King for their assistance.

Almost every time Lane was asked how he was doing, he replied “best you ever seen”. And to his family, he most definitely was.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mount Bethel Baptist Church, 4332 Mt Bethel Church Road, East Bend, NC 27018.