Cecil D. Aldridge, 70, of Blowing Rock, a native and former
resident of the Foscoe community, died Saturday night, July 17, 2010, at Blowing Rock Hospital.
Cecil was born, Jan. 13, 1940 in Watauga County, a son of the late Lon and Hazel Teague Aldridge. He was a member
of the Foscoe Christian Church.
Cecil worked at the Watauga Democrat for more than 14 years and was the general manager when he left to start “The Country Corner” store in Foscoe.
Later he started Aldridge and Sons Nursery and Landscaping with his two sons who remained active in that business until his retirement.
Cecil was a charter member of the Foscoe Fire Department, a member of the Class of 1958 of Cove Creek High School and he enjoyed baseball, hunting, fishing and especially NASCAR.
Cecil will be remembered as a good son, special brother, good husband, loving father and grandfather, loyal friend and Christian.
The family would like to express their sincere thanks to the entire staff of Blowing Rock Extended Care for their compassionate care these past years.
Mr. Aldridge is survived by his wife, Susan Lackey Aldridge of Statesville; three sons, Barry Aldridge and wife, Andrea, of West Jefferson, David Aldridge and fiance, Jackie Priddy, of Boone, and Kelly Guy of Boone; one daughter, Ginger Finley and husband, Doug, of Statesville; two sisters, Judy Aldridge Castle and husband, Steve, and Ann Aldridge Shore and husband, George, all of Boone; a brother-in-law, Hal Lackey and wife, Ann, of Statesville; eight granddaughters,
Riley Aldridge, Payton Aldridge, Bailey Aldridge and Reagan Aldridge, all of Baltimore, Md., Holly Aldridge and Clara Priddy, both of Boone, and Stephanie Pedersen and Ashley Pedersen, both of West Jefferson; and six grandsons, Brett Aldridge and Will Priddy, both of Boone, Daniel Pedersen of Chapel Hill, and Robert Finley, Houston Finley and Jackson Finley, all of Statesville; and two nieces and four nephews.
Cecil was also blessed with a number of aunts, uncles, great-nieces and great-nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father and mother, Lon and Hazel Teague Aldridge.
Services were conducted Tuesday, July 20, 2010, at Foscoe Christian Church. Officiating was Pastor Dan Burks and the Rev. Ken Caswell. Burial followed in the Watauga Baptist Church Cemetery. The family received friends Monday evening at Foscoe Christian Church.
Flowers are appreciated or memorial contributions may be made to the Foscoe Christian Church Elevator Fund, 8834 Hwy. 105 South, Boone, N.C. 28607.
Online condolences may be sent to the Aldridge family at www.hamptonfuneralservice.com.
Hampton Funeral and Cremation Service is in charge of the arrangements.

Lyle Bishop

Chief Master Sgt. Lyle Derwood Bishop, U.S. Air Force retired, 92, of Triplett, died July 13, 2010 at Glenbridge Health and Rehabilitation.
He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Boone.
Born May 10, 1918 in Erie County, Pa., Lyle was a son of Lyle Derwood and Mildred Blanche Bliley Bishop.
He was a veteran of both the U.S. Army during World War II and the U.S. Air Force of the Korean and Vietnam wars.
Lyle led a very active life. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served three years in the 11th Engineer Regiment in the Panama Canal Zone. Upon discharge, he attended classes at Lincoln Airplane and Flying School, graduating with a limited commercial flying license and an airplane mechanics license, landing a job in the Glenn L. Martin Aircraft Factory in Baltimore, Md.
Among other jobs, he was a flight engineer in Flight Test Section on PBM-3 Navy seaplanes.
Mr. Bishop married Pearle Louise Munn three weeks after they met and was drafted into the Army two months later. He became a paratrooper and was ordered to the European Theater where he served until the end of the war. He spent two more years in the Army of Occupation in Germany, where he was joined by his wife and two children. Mustered out in 1947, he was recalled by the U.S. Air Force in 1950 for the Korean War and remained in that service until retirement in 1967.
He served in the Air Force Civil Service for 12 years before retiring and moving with his family to the Triplett community.
Mr. Bishop was elected the first fire chief of the Stewart Simmons Volunteer Fire Department and later served for 12 years as director of medical first responders.
During this period, he and his wife, Pearl,e became professional ski patrollers at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort. They remained active patrollers for 23 years, retiring in 2004.
Mr. Bishop is survived by his wife of 66 years, Pearle Munn Bishop; three sons, Lyle D. Bishop III and wife, Hildegard, of Deep Gap, Alfred Bishop of Raleigh and John Bishop and wife, Jennifer, of Charlottesville, Va.; one daughter, Margaret Ellen “Maggie” Bishop and husband, Robert Gilman, of Deep Gap; six grandchildren, Cornelia Bishop-Cook and husband, Kevin, of Foscoe, Lyle D. Bishop IV and wife, Janna, of Seattle, Wash., Claire Bishop of Charlottesville, Va., and Elden Bishop and wife, Zsuanna, and Laura Bishop and Amber Bishop, all of California; and two great-granddaughters, Krista Handy of Foscoe and Mia Kai Bishop, of Seattle, Wash.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a son, Wyatt Bishop.
Memorial services will be announced at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Medi Home Hospice, P.O. Box l357, Newland, N.C. 28657.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at the website austinandbarnesfuneralhome. com.

Bill Collins

William Staple (Bill) Collins Jr. of Conway, S.C., and formerly of Boone, passed away Saturday, July 17, 2010.
Mr. Collins, the son of Edna Moody Collins and Staple Collins, was born in Watauga County Oct. 30, 1937.
He attended Appalachian High School in Boone and graduated from Blowing Rock High School in Blowing Rock. After graduation, he attended Nashville Auto Diesel College in Nashville, Tenn.
During the 1950s and ‘60s, Bill and his dad owned and operated Collins’ Truck and Auto Service in Boone. Mr. Collins moved to Myrtle Beach in the mid-60s and was involved in various civic organizations; he loved the small town feel of Myrtle Beach because it reminded him of his hometown.
During a long career in the automobile business, he was associated with Clark Motors, Holcomb Motors, Watts Appraisal Service, Bob Bible Pontiac, Beck Ford, and Hadwin White.
His hobby and chosen career was automobiles, and he enjoyed collecting classic cars, especially Corvettes.
He was the owner/operator of Collins’ Auto Sales in the Willow Springs community.
Mr. Collins is survived by his son, William Staple “Chip” Collins III of Conway, S.C., and Chip’s mother, Mary Carroll Moore of Myrtle Beach; his sister, Sharon Collins (Bill) Dowdy of Paisley, Fla.; three granddaughters, Brittany Elizabeth, Sarah Madison and Mary Kathryn Collins of Conway; three nieces, Judy (David) Hamlett of Boone, Betsy (Chris) Stamey of Jacksonville, Fla., and Keni Lee (Chris) Neverton of Paisley, Fla.; and a special lady, Diana Elvis Collins of Conway.
Mr. Collins was preceded in death by his son, Charles Douglas “Doug” Collins; his parents; maternal grandparents, Maude and Benjamin Moody of Blowing Rock; paternal grandparents Lee Ella Coffey and William Washington Collins of Blowing Rock; and his beloved aunt, Sally Collins, also of Blowing Rock.
Bill leaves behind many friends and acquaintances whose lives he touched in many ways. He will be missed by everyone who knew him.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, July 24, 2010, at 2 p.m. from Goldfinch Funeral Home, Conway Chapel, with Roy Kosin and the Rev. Steve Elvis officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to a church or charity of one’s choice.
Online guestbook will be available at www.goldfinchfuneralhome.com

There is no charge for obituaries that appear in the Blowing Rocket and we welcome a picture to accompany the notice. Notices may be sent to blowingrocket@mountaintimes.com or brought by the Rocket offices.