Obituaries

Dec 22, 2021

Donna Marie Castro (Albury), age 61 of Sylva NC, passed away on Wednesday December 22, 2021. She was born on January 12, 1960, in Hialeah FL, to the late Victor and Sylva (Knapp) Albury. Donna loved motorcycle riding and was a member of H.O.G.. She rode over 100,000 miles in 4 years. She traveled all over the US to all...

Dec 22, 2021

Ferne Iris Guffey, 96 of Webster went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, December 22, 2021. She was born on December 19, 1925 to the late Thomas and Gladys Winters.

Ferne loved the Lord and was a member of Webster United Methodist Church. She loved her family and animals. Ferne also loved the outdoors, gardening, flowers, and reading westerns....

Dec 21, 2021

Matthew “Matt” Ryan Cagle, age 24, went home to be with the Lord on December 21, 2021. Matt was a native of Jackson County, born in Sylva, NC on June 5, 1997. For the past six months, he resided in the Asheville area. He was a graduate of Smokey Mountain High School and then Southwestern Community College with a technical...

Dec 20, 2021

Douglas Forrest Bryson, age 82, of Tuckasegee, NC, went home to be with the Lord on Monday, December 20, 2021. He was the husband of the late Opal Lee Bryson and the son of the late Dewey and Beatrice Bryson.

He was retired from the US Army after serving his country for 29 years. Douglas loved to deer hunt and...

Dec 20, 2021

Hazel Jane Coggins Henderson, 93, passed away peacefully on Monday, December 20, 2021 in Sylva.

Born Sept. 9, 1928, in Jackson County, she was the daughter of Eulas & Iva Bryson Coggins, both deceased. She was married to the late Aubrey Henderson. Deceased siblings include brothers, Eugene & Furman Coggins, Bedford Bryson and sisters, Jessie & Barbara Hooper.

Hazel graduated from Glenville...

Dec 20, 2021

Charles Ray "CJ" LaSalle Jr., age 26, of Whittier, NC passed away on Monday, December 2, 2021. He was the son of Charles Ray LaSalle Sr. and Maria (Alex Leiva) Mayo.

A funeral service will be held on Sunday, December 26, 2021 at 2:00 pm at the Jackson County Rescue Squad with Rev. Tim Pressley officiating. Burial will follow in...

Dec 19, 2021

Lora Alice (Pokey) Long Watson, age 98, died Sunday, December 19, 2021, at her beloved childhood home in Cullowhee, NC. She went to her lord peacefully surrounded by her three children. Lora was a lifelong resident of Jackson County and a member of the Cullowhee Baptist Church.

Lora graduated from Western Carolina Teachers College in 1941 and taught school in...

Dec 19, 2021

Randall Eugene Oxford, age 55 of Whittier NC, passed away on Sunday December 19, 2021. He was born on March 29, 1966, in Polk County, FL, to Richard and Essie (Ogle) Oxford. Randy loved the outdoors. He enjoyed hiking, fishing, and biking He will be dearly missed by his loving wife, Ana (Restrepo); father, Richard; sons, Dustin Oxford, Richard S....

Dec 19, 2021

Tommy Allen Melton, age 50 of Sylva NC, passed away on Sunday December 19, 2021. He was born on January 20, 1971, in Jackson County, to Alfred and Gladys (Frady) Melton.

He was preceded in death by his father, Alfred.

He will be dearly missed by his loving mother, Gladys; siblings, Jim Ed Melton, Ricky Dale Melton, Debbie Duncan (Ricky); niece, Melissa...

Dec 17, 2021

Cornelius Massingale, 74, of Cullowhee, passed away Friday morning, December 17, 2021.

A native and a lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was the son of the late Whitney and Mary Broom Massingale.Along with his wife he was a Founding Member of Promise Land Baptist Church. A true outdoorsman, he loved to hunt, fish, camp and just enjoyed being outdoors.He is...

Dec 16, 2021

Edna Ann Carpenter, 76, of the Pumpkintown Community, went home to be with the Lord, Thursday evening, December 16, 2021.

A native and a lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was the daughter of the late William and Lozie Sorrells. Edna enjoyed sewing, nature and birds. She loved reading her Bible, The Lord and attending Zion Hill Baptist Church, of which...

Dec 16, 2021

Robert Joseph Coulombe, age 66, died unexpectedly on December 16, 2021, while vacationing in the Smoky Mountains with his wife, Cynthia. He was born in Rumford, ME on May 11, 1955, to the late Marjorie Gautreau and Vito Coulombe. He graduated from Rumford High School class of 1974.On May 28, 1988, he married the love of his life, Cynthia Boucher,...

Dec 15, 2021

Peggy Dalton Cook, 75 of Fletcher went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, December 15, 2021. Peggy was born in Jackson County on November 19, 1946 to the late Robert Dalton and Selma Dills Reece. She was a member of Fletcher Baptist Church.

Peggy loved to shop for her grandkids, but always shopped for bargains for herself. She dearly...

Dec 14, 2021

Velma Inez Willis: January 20, 1942 – December 14, 2021. Inez was born during the early stages of World War II, in the midst of a struggling economy, but to a close-knit community of extended family members and friends. She was born in Tracy City, Tennessee, to the late Clarence Edward Church and Jenny Annie Lee Lawson Church, who were...

Dec 12, 2021

Joshua Michael Hall, age 43 of Sylva NC, went home to be with his Lord and Savior after a period of declining health, on Saturday December 11, 2021. He was born on February 21, 1978, in Jackson County, to Kathy Ensley Hall and the late Michael Hall.

Josh and his dad owned Hall Masonry for 25 years. He laid block, brick,...

Dec 11, 2021

Carl Buchanan, age 82 of Whittier NC, passed away on Saturday December 11, 2021. He was born on June 14, 1939, in Jackson County, to the late Cashes and Alene (Harris) Buchanan. Carl was the founder and president of Buchanan and Sons Inc, a local construction company. As a contractor, Carl formed a reputation for being hard-working, honest, and loyal....

Dec 8, 2021

Bishop Marcus Anthony Shuler, born Aug 5, 1975, in Waynesville, North Carolina, entered his heavenly home on Wednesday Dec 8, 2021.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 6:30 PM on Monday, December 13, 2021, at the Kings Mountain Family Worship Center, Kings Mountain, North Carolina.

Officiating will be Dr. Roger Woodard, Dr. Ken Bell, and Bishop Melvin Shuler....

Dec 8, 2021

Rachel Kinkaid Cagle went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday December 8, 2021. She was born on March 14, 1929 to the late Nason Kinkaid and Mary McCampbell Kinkaid.

Rachel enjoyed reading her bible and loved her family and friends. She held a Bible Study at Skyland Care Center and was a member of Scotts Creek Baptist Church.

In addition...

Dec 7, 2021

Ann Nichols Hooper, age 84 of Cullowhee NC, passed away on Tuesday, December 7, 2021. She was born on July 17,1937, in Tenino, Washington, to the late Willard and Bernice (Robinson) Nichols.

Meemaw (Ann) was a person who enjoyed helping others. For instance, she loved to cook. Especially for large groups of friends, family and guests. She retired from Western Carolina...

Dec 6, 2021