Carl Ray Grantham, Sr.

Carl R. Grantham, a Wayne County native whose distinguished military career took him around the world, died Sunday, Nov. 8, with his family by his side. He was 83. A father, soldier, farmer and educator, Mr. Grantham was born near Goldsboro on July 31, 1932. He was a dedicated member of Rosewood First Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon and Sunday School teacher, among other roles. After retiring from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel in 1978, Mr. Grantham taught JROTC at D.H. Conley High School in Greenville, where he and his first wife, Ida Rouse Grantham of Rosewood, whom he married in 1951, lived for more than 30 years. They were active members of The Memorial Baptist Church in Greenville. Ida Rouse Grantham died in 2011, and Mr. Grantham achieved his dream of returning home to Wayne County when he moved to a farm in Saulston in 2012. A year later, he married Marie Womack Grantham, a fellow member of the Rosewood High School Class of 1950. After graduation, Mr. Grantham farmed in Wayne County until joining the U.S. Army in 1953. He served in Korea, then attended Officer Candidate School in 1957. Afterward, Mr. Grantham was assigned to the 4th Training Regiment in Fort Knox, Ky.; the 24th Infantry Division in Augsburg, Germany; and the U.S. Army Infantry School in Fort Benning, Ga., where he was an instructor on the Davy Crockett Nuclear Weapons System. Other tours of duty included Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; serving with the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam; Fort Belvoir, Va.; and earning a bachelor?s degree from St. Benedict?s College in Atchison, Kan. (later earning a master?s degree from East Carolina University). He returned for a second Vietnam tour; served at the Pentagon as the Middle East action officer for Foreign Military Sales and was senior advisor to the N.C. Army National Guard before retiring in 1978. In his Pentagon role, Mr. Grantham briefed the White House and Congress, and frequently met with foreign dignitaries. His numerous awards and decorations include recognition at the National Infantry Museum near Fort Benning, Ga.; the Distinguished Flying Cross; the Legion of Merit; the Bronze Star for valor with four clusters; two Air Medals; two Army Achievement Medals for valor; and the Combat Infantry Badge. Mr. Grantham was a humorous storyteller who always had an anecdote to share, and he was known for his generous spirit and devotion to his Christian faith. He often said that returning home to Wayne County ? where he worked on his antique tractor; did chores with his spirited horse Norman nearby; and drove around town with Mrs. Grantham in their 1929 Model A Ford ? brought him some of the happiest and most peaceful years of his life. He is survived by his wife Marie Womack Grantham of Rosewood; daughter Teresa McLawhorn of Winterville; son C. Ray Grantham Jr. and wife Allison of Winston-Salem; daughter Bonnie Kennedy and husband Ken of Grimesland; and daughter Loretta Grantham of Deerfield Beach, Fla.; granddaughter Ashlie Woodlief and husband Scott of Raleigh; granddaughter Brandy Vazquez and husband Omar of Fayetteville; grandson Taylor McLawhorn and wife Madison of Oklahoma City, Okla.; granddaughter Amy Sullivan and husband Ryan of Winston-Salem; grandson C. Ray Grantham III and wife Lauryn of Fort Hood, Texas; and eight great-grandchildren. Sister Alice Streetman and Cliff Powell of Charleston, S.C.; brother H.T. Grantham and wife Nell of Fremont; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by an infant daughter Debra Jean Grantham and a sister Eleanor Glynn Allen of Wilmington. Stepson Gregg Womack and wife Cheryl of Goldsboro; stepdaughter Claudia Jones and husband Joe of Fayetteville; and stepson Mark Womack of Raleigh. Step-grandchildren Kelly and Cameron Jorgenson of Fuquay-Varina; Caitlin and Matthew Estes of Birmingham, Ala.; Michael Womack, and Matthew Womack and Marisa Legg, all of Goldsboro; and two step-great-grandchildren. Visitation will be Saturday at 10 a.m. in the Rosewood First Baptist Church fellowship hall, followed by a service in the sanctuary at 11:30 a.m. at Rosewood First Baptist Church, 562 N.C. Hwy. 581 South, Goldsboro, N.C. 27530. A graveside service will follow at Wayne Memorial Park, 2925 U.S. Hwy. 117, Dudley, N.C. 28333. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Rosewood First Baptist Church Roof Fund, 562 NC 581 South, Goldsboro, NC 27530. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.seymourfuneralhome.com.