2 days Ago
From the Summer Olympic Games to Election Day, 2024 has been a historic year that also saw the loss of many local legends who made history in their own lanes. These 15 individuals — ranging from war veterans and philanthropists to musicians and mental health advocates — had a profound impact on Forsyth County and all those they touched. Some sought to connect to the community through art and music, while others made a name helping thousands of local youths chart a brighter path.
Whether teenagers or centenarians at the time of their deaths, each of these individuals had a meaningful impact on the world around them, and their legacies will continue to inspire. Margaret Mueller Internationally acclaimed organist Margaret Mueller made her imprint on the music scene, dedicating nearly half of her life to Salem College's Community Music School and reinvigorating organ music in the U.S.
People are also reading...
Mueller — who died in April, a few months shy of her 100th birthday — spent 48 years teaching at the college's Community Music School. A longtime faculty member at Salem College, Mueller was also an organist at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem for 38 years, and enjoyed sharing her contagious enthusiasm for music with others.
Mueller and her husband of 60 years, John, were instrumental in reviving interest in the mechanical-action organ in the U.S. by establishing the Summer Organ Academy at Salem College.
Throughout the program's 21year tenure, world-famous organists visited Winston-Salem and worked with local students. Mueller, a mother and grandmother, earned her degree in music at Oberlin College in Ohio, and studied organ in Germany as a Fulbright Scholar. William Thomas Graham, Jr.
Former District Court Judge William Thomas Graham, Jr., had a knack for adventure, traveling to 109 countries in his 65 years of life. Graham, who was known to be constantly planning another world trip, attended Summit School and Forsyth Country Day School.
He earned his degrees at Duke University and Western Michigan University's Cooley School of Law, before entering into private practice in Winston-Salem. In 1996, Graham was elected District Court Judge and served for more than 20 years. Graham, who was born in Illinois, died in June.
Fotini Demetrios Bobocharis While Fotini Demetrios Bobocharis devoted 40 years career as a professional seamstress at Robert's Uniforms/Fechheimer Bros, she also channeled her natural talents to help others. Fotini — who grew up in Karpenisi, Greece — knitted thousands of blankets, scarves, hats, and pouches for wheelchairs, which she donated to local people in need and sent to the hospital in her Greek hometown. Fotini, a lifelong devoted member of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Winston-Salem, survived two wars while living in Greece, and came to the U.
S. in 1955 to start a new life. She participated in several philanthropic organizations locally to help people in need, and was known for making superb Greek pastries.
Bobocharis was 95 when she died in late July. Norman Gaddis A decorated veteran, retired Brig. General Norman Gaddis served in both WWII and the Vietnam War during a storied career with the Air Force that spanned 34 years.
Born in Tennessee, Gaddis began his military career in 1942 and went on to fly the first-ever single jet engine fighter crossing of the Pacific Ocean. Gaddis spent more than 5 years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, and moved to Bermuda Run with his family after retiring from the military in 1976. In honor of his decades of service, Gaddis was inducted into the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame and as a member of the inaugural class of the North Carolina Military Hall of Firsts.
On his 100th birthday last year, Gaddis — who had two sons, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren — also received the North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine and a letter from President Joe Biden. Known by many nicknames — including Snap, The General, Dad, and Granddad — Gaddis enjoyed spending time at the farm, cheering for Duke basketball, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and his 5 o'clock beer. Gaddis died in February at the age of 100.
Ed Gaylor Ed Gaylor devoted his life to service from two tours in Vietnam to a 27-year career at the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office. After enlisting in the Army in 1965, Gaylor was first deployed to Vietnam in early 1967 as a helicopter mechanic. "I felt like I owed my country something.
I figured I'd serve my years and then go on and live what I hoped was a normal life," Gaylor told the Journal in 2019. After his stint in the Army, Gaylor moved to Winston-Salem to get his degree in aviation and mechanics. Soon after, the father of two began working at the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office, retiring in 1999 as a First Sergeant.
Kernersville resident Gaylor enjoyed woodworking, reading and working on cars, according to his obituary. He died at age 79 in August. Willie Grissom As a former vice chancellor for business and finance at Winston-Salem State University, Willie Grissom helped thousands of students achieve their dreams of a college education through financial aid, and also spearheaded a campus expansion plan.
Grissom, who retired from the position in 1991, began working at the university as a bookstore manager after graduating from North Carolina Central University in Durham in 1964. Throughout his decades at WSSU, Grissom — who served a two-year stint in the Army — also worked as an accounting clerk, assistant business manager and business manager. After retiring, he continued to work at WSSU as an internal auditor and executive director of the WSSU Foundation.
An active philanthropist and volunteer, Grissom served more than 20 years on civic boards, including the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities Commission and the Winston-Salem Juvenile Justice Council. The youngest of five children, Grissom was raised on a farm in Granville County, and enjoyed playing cards, bowling, watching sports, eating country cooking, admiring classic cars, and photography, according to his obituary. Grissom, a father and grandfather, was married for 60 years, and died in April.
Ann Ryder Ann Ryder left her stamp on the state as a mental health advocate and founding member of Forsyth County's Human Relations Commission. Throughout her career as an area director at the North Carolina Department of Mental Health and Human Resources, Ryder traveled around the state to evaluate and assist local organizations and provide better services for patients. Raised in Bedford, Va.
, Ryder earned her Master's degree in psychology at the University of Richmond before moving to Winston-Salem where she first worked at the local Metal Health Association. Ryder, who was a mother and grandmother, also served as a deacon, Sunday school teacher and committee member at First Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. She died at age 88 in August.
George Ballard Ingle, Jr. An Army veteran who served in the Vietnam War, George Ballard Ingle Jr. spent nearly half of his life as a fixture at Forsyth Medical Hospital.
Ingle — who worked in the hospital's Emergency Department for more than 35 years — joined the Army after graduating from UNCChapel Hill. After suffering significant injuries in Vietnam, Ingle returned home, and earned his Master's degree and PhD in psychology from Tulane University. He also earned his Physician's Assistant degree at Wake Forest University.
Born in Asheville, Ingle was passionate about medicine, German Shepherds, traveling and his family, according to his obituary. Ingle, a father and grandfather, died at the age of 79 in February. Fred Adams Fred Adams's love of learning led him to pursue a storied career in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system where he held many roles, including as a teacher, counselor, assistant superintendent, area superintendent, associate superintendent, and deputy superintendent.
Throughout his career, Adams also served as an adjunct professor in the education departments at Wake Forest University and UNC-Greensboro. In retirement, Fred served as a business and educational leadership consultant in multiple states, and also worked as a supervisor in the Counselor Education Department at Salem College. The youngest of seven children, Adams grew up on a farm near Dobson, where he was a high school all-conference basketball player.
He earned his Bachelor's and Masters degrees from Appalachian State University, and earned a Doctorate of Education from the University of Virginia. Adams, a father and grandfather, had a passion for exploring the truths of religion, science, and philosophy, as well as helping others. Adams died in April at age 81.
Yania Tufte Nicknamed "the Little Mermaid" for her penchant for making friends, Yania "Nia" Tufte left a lasting impression on all those she touched in her 20 years of life. Tufte was known for making people laugh, and found joy in the little things in life, like eating French fries with ranch, and blasting music while riding in the car. She loved going to church, picking out a new pair of sunglasses to wear, her medical-alert dog Buddy-dog, and eating dinner with her family.
Tufte died at age 20 in January. William ' Mr. Bill' McClain William McClain, known to friends as "Mr.
Bill," devoted his life to youth education, helping thousands of local kids through the Boys and Girls Club, and other programs. McClain founded nonprofit Guiding Institute for Developmental Education to help students in underserved communities achieve academic proficiency, often using basketball as an incentive for kids to compete their homework. Among his professional ventures, McClain worked in banking, auto sales, and coaching, as well as at the Housing Authority of Winston-Salem, and leading production for various events with his business Mr.
Bill's Productions. A Winston-Salem native, McClain graduated from Atkins High School, and earned degrees from Brevard College and Greensboro College. McClain — a father of three and grandfather of 12 — died at age 76.
Mary Annecelli With a passion for fashion, former professional model Mary Annecelli spent more than 30 years as the owner of "Shop of the Ragpicker," a trendy clothing boutique on Robinhood Road. Annecelli also dedicated her life as an avid mental health advocate, serving as a member on the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and working to raise awareness and provide mental health education to those in need. Annecelli – who was married for 62 years – loved gardening, recipes, Christmas trees, golf, photography, her Dobermans, and spending time with her family, according to her obituary.
A mother of two, Annecelli died at age 84 in July. Hunter Gardner In his 17 years of life, Hunter Gardner was defined as a "large spirit" who had a passion for music, according to his obituary. One of five siblings, Murphy was born in Morehead City and resided in Thomasville.
A foundation, coined "Hunter Gardner's Gateway to Gardening," was started by Gardner's uncle in Colorado Springs his honor. Gardner died in January in a fatal train accident, two weeks before his 18th birthday. Joseph Hundertmark From global performances with Cirque du Soleil to local music gigs, Joseph Hundertmark was a fixture in the Triad music community.
Hundertmark — a 1997 Easton High School graduate — grew up playing trombone, singing in the chorus and performing musical theater. He earned a degree in classical guitar performance from North Carolina School of the Arts, and went on to open with Cirque du Soleil's "Zarkana" production as a guitarist at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. In 2015, Hundertmark — who has performed globally, including in Russia, Canada and Spain — became the musical director for Cirque du Soleil's "Joya" in Mexico.
Throughout his career, Hundertmark has been a member of a number of bands in the Winston-Salem area, performing in gigs across the East Coast. Hundertmark, who was 44, died in a vehicle accident alongside his longtime friend and fellow band member, Nathan Harris, on his way home from a music gig in South Carolina. In November, loved ones held an inaugural event — coined "Jam for Joe: A Musical Celebration of Joe Hundertmark and Nathan Harris" — in honor of the two musicians.
Nathan Harris Nathan Harris was a dedicated father and a talented musician who earned recognition for his ability to improvise and sing at a near perfect pitch. Harris performed for many bands throughout his musical career, and was the lead vocalist of Lucky Pocket. In the early 2000s, Harris was one of the emcees for "Solos," a hip-hop group that performed for crowds of hundreds at Winston-Salem spots such as the Rubber Soul Bar and Ziggy's, a live music venue and bar.
In 2005, Solos opened for the rapper Common, and Harris was invited on stage for a freestyle rap battle in front of 20,000 people. Outside of music, Harris was a devout father to three daughters, Sophia, 13, Laila, 12, and Natalia, 10. Harris, who was 44, died in a vehicle accident alongside his longtime friend and fellow band member, Joseph Hundertmark.
Get local news delivered to your inbox!.
