Mr John Harold Talton Sr.

John Harold Talton, 79, of Hoods Creek Drive, passed away peacefully at home, May 23, 2008. Born on May 10, 1929 in Smithfield, North Carolina, Harold was the son of the late John Baptist Talton and Jesse Smith Talton. He graduated from Smithfield High School and received his B.A. in Business Administration from Wake Forest University in 1951. Upon graduation, he began a career at First Citizens Bank in Newton Grove, North Carolina. In 1954 he served the U.S. Army until 1956, stationed in Germany. Upon his return, he resumed his distinguished career with First Citizens Bank in North Carolina, serving as Vice President in Spring Hope and later in Louisburg before taking on the responsibility of Vice President-City Executive in New Bern from 1969 to 1972. Later appointed Senior Regional Vice President for Eastern North Carolina, he retired in 1994 after 43 years. He remained a consultant and member of the Board of Advisors until his death. Harold's committment to the community was evidenced by service to many organizations over the years including: President and Director, New Bern Area Chamber of Commerce; President, New Bern Preservation Foundation, Inc.; Director and President, Craven County Committee of 100, Ltd.; Director, Craven County Tourism Development Authority; Chairman, All Saints Chapel Restoration Committee; Chairman, Advisory Committee Craven County Board of Equalization and Review; Member, Union Point Task Force; Chairman and President, United Way; Treasurer, Craven County 200th Anniversary Committee; Trustee, The Kellenberger Historical Foundation; Director and Treasurer, New Bern Historical Society Foundation, Inc.; Member, New Bern Bicentennial Commission; Trustee, Louisburg College; Member, North Carolina 2000 Committee; President, New Bern-Craven County Development Corporation; Trustee, New Bern YMCA; Director and President, Dunes Club, Atlantic Beach, N.C.;Chairman, Haslen House Restoration Committee; Treasurer, New Bern Rotary Club; Chairman, Swiss Bear, Inc. (Non-profit Downtown Revitalization Organization), 10 years; Chairman, Craven Regional Medical Authority and Director, 10 years; Chairman, Board of Directors, N.C. Community College Foundation; Member, Advisory Committee, Craven-Pamlico-Carteret Regional Library; Member, New Bern Urban Design Committee; Member, New Bern Land Use Plan Committee; Board Member, Craven County Crime Stoppers; Member, Craven-Pamlico Transportation Committee; Member, New Bern Municipal Services District Committee; Member, Board of Advisors First Citizen Bank; Director, Craven Arts Council & Gallery, Inc.; Board of Directors, Craven County Affiliate of the N.C. Community Foundation; Mason and Shriner; Craven County Commissioner from 1998 - 2002, Member of Tryon Palace Commission, appointed as Chairman in 1993 � 2004; Owner, Mitchell Hardware; and active member of Christ Episcopal Church. For his work and commitment, Harold was recognized as the New Bern Civitan Citizen of the Year in 1972. He was the 1983 recipient of the Gertrude S. Carraway Award of Merit by the Historical Preservation Society of North Carolina. He received the N.C. Main Street Award for the Citizen of the Year in 1988. He was named the Eastern Carolina Council of Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen Of The Year in 1990. He was also honored to have a waterfront section of Union Point named �Talton Overlook� in 1997 as a result of over $80,000 in donations raised for the project through the combined efforts of First Citizen Bank, its local Board members and supportive friends and associates. In 2004, he was confered to The Order of the Long Leaf Pine by North Carolina Governor Michael F. Easley. His hobbies were gardening, cultivating camellias, raising horses and goats, tree-farming, woodworking, and collecting old tools. Harold is survived by his wife, the former Patricia Smith, a retired English teacher who taught in the public schools of N.C., including a number of years in Havelock and New Bern. Patricia and Harold were married 54 years. He is also survived by a daughter Rebecca (Becky) Talton Bump from Virginia Beach, Virginia; son John Talton, Jr. and his wife Kathryn Colombo Talton who reside in Pinehurst, North Carolina; son David Smith Talton and his wife Sara Evans Talton from Tupelo, Mississippi; grandchildren Davis Ann Talton, Jack Talton, Evan Talton, Rachel Talton and Rebecca Talton; two brothers, William Talton and Kenneth Talton; and two sisters, Joyce Talton Gibson and Elizabeth Talton Sambleson; and many loving relatives and friends. A memorial service will be held on Monday, May 26, 2008 at 1 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church in downtown New Bern. The family will host visitation at Pollock-Best Funeral Home on Neuse Boulevard on Sunday evening, May 25 from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Christ Episcopal Church Capital Campaign OR Tryon Palace Commission for the N.C. History Education Center.