Family Card - Person Sheet
Family Card - Person Sheet
NameWilliam Henry “Bill” Leonard III 
Birth1926, Salisbury, Rowan County, NC
Death12 Jun 2009, New Bern, Craven County, NC
BurialChrist Episcopal Church Cemetery, New Bern, Craven County, NC
FatherWilliam Henry Leonard Jr. (1906-1976)
MotherMarie White Morgan (1908-1998)
Spouses
Marriage1948
Notes for William Henry “Bill” Leonard III
William Henry "Bill" Leonard III
William Henry "Bill" Leonard III died peacefully at CarolinaEast Medical Center on June 12, 2009, at the age of 83. He was born in Salisbury. He graduated from Boyden High School, Salisbury, Georgia Military Academy, Atlanta, Ga., and attended N.C. State University, Raleigh. Bill entered the U.S. Air Force during World War II and was trained as an intelligence officer and served in the Occupation Forces in Germany. Bill worked in one of his father's jewelry stores, Leonard's Jeweler's of Statesville, for 10 years. In 1958, he joined Drexel-Heritage Furniture Manufacturing Co., Inc. In 1960, the family moved to Lafayette, Calif., where he was the Northern California salesman. He was promoted to Western Regional Sales Manager in 1962. After returning to Morganton in 1965, he was hired by Kemp Furniture Company, Goldsboro, as vice-president of Sales and Marketing. He was associated with Kemp Furniture until the late 1980s, when Kemp was purchased by Universal Furniture Inc. Bill was also the past president-Marketing Division of the Southern Furniture Manufacturer's Association. He achieved numerous other accolades during his career in the furniture industry. Bill retired in New Bern with his wife, Fair, in 1992.
Bill had a lifetime love of golf with many trophies and honors. His golf swing emulated Sam Snead's, his boyhood golf hero. He was active in the Episcopal Church in Goldsboro and New Bern. He was a Vestry member, Stephen Minister, and did volunteer work as well.
Bill is survived by his wife of 61 years, Fair Miller Leonard. She was his childhood sweetheart in Salisbury. Survivors also include a brother, Alfred C. Leonard of Lake Norman; and his children, William Wiley Leonard and wife, Margaret Ann, of Goldsboro, Mark Christian Leonard and wife, Cynthia, of Farmville, Fair Marie Strally and husband, Michael, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; grandchildren include Nathan Henry Leonard, William Jason Leonard, Alison Leonard Hoyme and husband, Matthew, Matthew Starkey Leonard and wife, Joy, Jacob Daniel Leonard and Margaret Miller Leonard.
He was the son of the late William Henry Leonard Jr. and the late Marie White Morgan. Preceding him in death was a son, William Henry Leonard IV and a grandson, Jacob Wiley Leonard.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 17, at Christ Episcopal Church, 320 Pollock St., New Bern. Inurnment will be in the courtyard of Christ Church.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to the Alzheimer’s Association Eastern North Carolina Chapter, 400 Oberlin Road, Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27605 or to a charity of your choice.
Arrangements are by the Cremation Society of the Carolinas.
Sun Journal, 16 June 2009
William Henry "Bill" Leonard III died peacefully at CarolinaEast Medical Center on June 12, 2009, at the age of 83. He was born in Salisbury. He graduated from Boyden High School, Salisbury, Georgia Military Academy, Atlanta, Ga., and attended N.C. State University, Raleigh. Bill entered the U.S. Air Force during World War II and was trained as an intelligence officer and served in the Occupation Forces in Germany. Bill worked in one of his father's jewelry stores, Leonard's Jeweler's of Statesville, for 10 years. In 1958, he joined Drexel-Heritage Furniture Manufacturing Co., Inc. In 1960, the family moved to Lafayette, Calif., where he was the Northern California salesman. He was promoted to Western Regional Sales Manager in 1962. After returning to Morganton in 1965, he was hired by Kemp Furniture Company, Goldsboro, as vice-president of Sales and Marketing. He was associated with Kemp Furniture until the late 1980s, when Kemp was purchased by Universal Furniture Inc. Bill was also the past president-Marketing Division of the Southern Furniture Manufacturer's Association. He achieved numerous other accolades during his career in the furniture industry. Bill retired in New Bern with his wife, Fair, in 1992.
Bill had a lifetime love of golf with many trophies and honors. His golf swing emulated Sam Snead's, his boyhood golf hero. He was active in the Episcopal Church in Goldsboro and New Bern. He was a Vestry member, Stephen Minister, and did volunteer work as well.
Bill is survived by his wife of 61 years, Fair Miller Leonard. She was his childhood sweetheart in Salisbury. Survivors also include a brother, Alfred C. Leonard of Lake Norman; and his children, William Wiley Leonard and wife, Margaret Ann, of Goldsboro, Mark Christian Leonard and wife, Cynthia, of Farmville, Fair Marie Strally and husband, Michael, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; grandchildren include Nathan Henry Leonard, William Jason Leonard, Alison Leonard Hoyme and husband, Matthew, Matthew Starkey Leonard and wife, Joy, Jacob Daniel Leonard and Margaret Miller Leonard.
He was the son of the late William Henry Leonard Jr. and the late Marie White Morgan. Preceding him in death was a son, William Henry Leonard IV and a grandson, Jacob Wiley Leonard.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 17, at Christ Episcopal Church, 320 Pollock St., New Bern. Inurnment will be in the courtyard of Christ Church.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to the Alzheimer’s Association Eastern North Carolina Chapter, 400 Oberlin Road, Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27605 or to a charity of your choice.
Arrangements are by the Cremation Society of the Carolinas.
Sun Journal, 16 June 2009