In Memoriam

Joseph William Moss

Joseph William Moss, born April 6, 1941, died peacefully at Beacon Place in Greensboro on January 31, 2018, surrounded by family.  Joe moved to his beloved hometown of St. Simons Island, Georgia, in the first grade and never lost his love of the marsh, sand and sea.  He left St. Simons to attend Duke University on a football scholarship.  Joe was elected president of Kappa Alpha fraternity at Duke.  He graduated from Duke in 1963 with a B.A. in economics.  He attended Mercer University Law School for one year and transferred to Wake Forest University School of Law, earning JD/LLB degree in 1966.  Joe served as a law clerk to Justice Carlisle Higgins of the North Carolina Supreme Court in 1966-67.

Joe practiced law in Greensboro for over forty years as a partner in Adams, Kleemeier, Hagan, Hanna & Fouts (1967-1999), Moss & Eudy, and Moss & Mason.  Joe was a trial lawyer – he loved trying cases and was a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.  He was a member of the North Carolina Bar Association, where he served as chair of the Young Lawyers Division and was among those who initially organized the Construction Law Section.  Joe served as general chairman of the Greater Greensboro Open in 1976, was a member of the Greensboro Jaycees, and served as president of the Greensboro Sports Council.

Joe was predeceased by his parents, Henry Parks Moss and Sarah Elizabeth Eberhardt Moss, and his brothers Henry Parks Moss, Jr. and Frank M. Moss, and his cousin Andrew L. Eberhardt.  Joe is survived by his sister Elizabeth Moss Mrachek of West Palm Beach, Florida, and his children Joseph W. Moss, Jr. and his wife Beth of Charlotte, Priscilla (Polly) Moss Wierda and her husband Greg of Greensboro, Gregory Moss Bowman and her husband Greg of Greensboro, and nine grandchildren:  Will Moss, Katherine Moss, Virginia Moss, Carter Wierda, Jackson Wierda, Mason Wierda, Scott Bowman, Daniel Bowman and Henry Bowman.  Joe’s most loyal and loving companions in recent years were his dogs Beau and Bigi, who predeceased him.

Arnold Terry Wood

Arnold Terry Wood, 81, passed away peacefully at his home in Greensboro on December 20, 2017, after a courageous battle with cancer.  Terry was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on November 3, 1936.  He was raised in Charlotte, where he graduated from Myers Park High School.  After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1958, he joined the United States Navy and served as an officer on the USS Moale, a destroyer.  While serving in the Navy, Terry met and married the love of his life, Ann Turner Wood.

Following his time in the Navy, Terry was admitted to the UNC School of law where he again graduated with Honors.  In the mid-1960’s he moved his family to Hickory, North Carolina, where he opened a law office.  During his time in Hickory he also served as the attorney for the local school board.  In the 1980’s Terry and Ann relocated to Greensboro where he began work in the City Attorney’s Office.  Terry was later named the City Attorney of Greensboro and he served in that capacity until his retirement.  He came out of retirement at the request of the Greensboro City Council and served as the City Attorney for a second time, until he retired once again.

Terry was a selfless and loving man who always put his family first.  He was extremely humble, and many enjoyed his quick witted, self-deprecating personality.  Among his passions over the years were coaching little league football, playing golf with his sons or friends, training for and completing more than 20 marathons, and spending frequent stretches of time in Banner Elk where he truly enjoyed gazing endlessly from his front porch at the mountains around him.

Terry was extremely proud not only of his own time in the military, but the service that others gave in each branch of the military.  Whenever he was out, he always took time to thank those he could identify as veterans for the service and sacrifices they have made to keep our nation safe.

Terry was preceded in death by his father, William Arnold Wood, and his mother, Clyde Gunnels Wood.  He is survived by a large family who he said gave him his greatest pleasure in life.  They are his wife of 58 years, Ann Turner Wood; son William (Bill) Wood and his wife Cindy Farmer Wood of Greensboro and their children Kylie and Abby; son John Wood and his wife Renee of Hickory and their children Paul and Elizabeth; son Warren Wood and his wife Amy of Hickory and their children Gracyn, Isabelle and Turner; son Allen Wood and his wife Amy Marie of Canton and their children Ella and Eva.

Robert Preston Worth

Robert Preston Worth died peacefully on February 21, 2018, at Well-Spring Retirement Community in Greensboro.  He was born in Greensboro on April 3, 1950, to the late Anne Preston Worth and Alexander McAlister Worth, Jr.  After graduating from Page High School, he served in the National Guard and graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1972.

Following graduation from the University of North Carolina School of Law, Robert practiced law in Greensboro independently for two years before he became an assistant district attorney in 1978.  From 1981 until 1985, he practiced with the law firm of Spence, Harrison, Benson, Worth and Wannamaker in Greensboro.  He then joined his family’s business, Shamrock Corporation, a leading supplier of printed and converted wrapping papers for the retail packaging, poultry and cigarette industries, and became vice president, secretary and treasurer of the company.  He also served of counsel to the law firm of Douglas, Ravenel, Hardy, Crihfield & Hoyle.  In 2001, Robert was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.

Robert served on the local advisory board of BB & T for many years, and was active in numerous community and charitable organizations, including the PTA’s at his children’s schools.  He was a member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.

Robert shared his warm, happy and generous spirit with people from all walks of life and all ages and personalities.  He so easily noticed the best in others and brought it out through conversation.  Robert related to others with authentic attention and focus and helped others to feel confident about themselves.  He was talented in art, making all of his children’s birthday cards well into their adulthood.  He loved walks on the beach to find sand dollars, and whenever he found them he thought they were sent by a loved one.  He and his family met many times a year at the family’s beach home built by his father.  Robert lived with consistent, strong and grateful faith all of his life and always reflected a warm spirit in his workday and in his home life.  A business associate of Robert’s once remarked that “Robert was a kind, gracious, generous man with a great sense of humor and a big laugh. He made a huge impact on everyone he met, both at our company … as well as throughout the Greensboro business community.”

Robert is survived by his beloved wife, Ellen Alsup Worth and their three children, son David Alsup Worth and his wife Erica Gooden Worth and their children Elsa Anne, Fitzsimmons, and Percy; daughter Martha Worth Whelan and her husband Robert William Whelan and their children Carolyn Preston Whelan and Robert Worth Whelan; and son Jonathan McRae Worth and his wife Catherine Collins Worth (Charlie).  Robert is also survived by his twin brother David McAlister Worth and his wife Lauren Jones Worth, his older brother Alexander Walker Worth and his wife Drena Worth, and members of his extended family.