Ralph Hutchinson McClure

MR. RALPH HUTCHINSON MCCLURE

OCEAN ISLE BEACH -- Mr. Ralph Hutchinson McClure, 87, of 21 Isle Plaza, Ocean Isle Beach, NC, received his final healing on Monday, December 19, 2011, at Robin Johnson Hospice House in Dallas, NC.

Mr. McClure was born on April 16, 1924, in Mecklenburg County, son of the late William David McClure, Jr. and Mary Isabela Thompson McClure. Mr. McClure served in the US Army during WWII and was stationed in the South Pacific and the Philippines with the 866th Engineering Battalion. He was a lifetime member and Past Commander of Paw Creek American Legion Post #353 where he organized and traveled with the post's baseball team. Before going into business for himself he worked in the family businesses, McClure Lumber and McClure Timber. He became a residential and commercial contractor, holding an active NC Contractors license for over 55 years. His company, R.H. McClure Builders was instrumental in the development of the Coulwood Community in Charlotte, co-designed and contracted the Museum of Coastal Carolina at Ocean Isle Beach, many church sanctuaries, commercial properties and custom residential homes in Mecklenburg, Gaston, Lincoln, New Hanover and Brunswick counties. As a contractor he was a member of the NC Homebuilders Association. Later, he founded R. H. McClure Realty, which provides vacation rental and real estate sales at Ocean Isle Beach. He was a member and former deacon of Cook's Memorial Presbyterian Church of Charlotte. Upon moving to Ocean Isle Beach he became a member of Shallotte Presbyterian Church where he served as a deacon, an elder, helped design the sanctuary at the church, served as the general contractor for that project and assisted in starting a summer beach service ministry at Ocean Isle, which has served the community for over 40 years. Ralph enjoyed serving his church, dancing, traveling the North and South American continents sport fishing, laughing and spending time with his family and many friends.

Survivors include his wife of 24 years, Patricia Beam McClure, of the home; daughter, Lynn McClure Lee of Charlotte; granddaughter, Amanda Lee Farris and husband Todd of Gastonia; great-grandchildren, Hutchinson and Lunden Farris of Gastonia; stepson, Russell Murray and wife Kim of Asheville, NC, and their children Taos and Jet; two sisters, Willi Messick of Gastonia and Helen Funderburk of Charlotte; brother, Rev. Dr. Joe McClure of Knoxville, TN, and a number of nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by brothers, Robert B. McClure, John T. McClure and Donald A. McClure.

Visitation will be on Thursday, December 22, 2011, from 5:00 until 6:45 p.m. at Cook's Memorial Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, followed by funeral services at 7:00 p.m. with Rev. John Causey of Shallotte Presbyterian Church and Rev. Dr. Joe McClure officiating.

Burial will be at Cherryville City Memorial Cemetery at 10:00 a.m. on Friday morning with military honors provided by Cherryville American Legion Post #100.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 31, 2011, at Shallotte Presbyterian Church, Shallotte, NC.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of Gaston County, PO Box 3984 Gastonia, NC 28053 or to Shallotte Presbyterian Church Beach Ministry, PO Box 3256, Shallotte, NC 28459.

A guest register is available online at www.stameyfuneralhome.com

Stamey~Cherryville Funeral Home is serving the McClure family.

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