William Russell Lane, Sr.

William Russell Lane, Sr., age 88 years, died April 12, 2012 in Hardy, Virginia. Bill or Poppy as he was known to us died at his son’s home in hospice care after a recent illness. We have lost another member of the greatest generation and will all suffer as a result. William was born August 27, 1923 in Roxobel, N.C. to Samuel Russell Lane and Lucille McBride Peele. He left the farm and rural northeastern North Carolina to join the Navy and truly saw the world from China to Africa. He served in the submarine service, was a Chief Torpedoman and remained in the service after the close of the war. He was an original plank owner of the USS Flounder (SS-251), literally as he kept a piece of its teak decking near his bed until death. He married his childhood sweetheart Margaret Pugh Harden from Windsor, N.C. on June 3, 1945. He knew he would marry her from the day he first met her. He left the Navy and came to Wilmington, N.C. to help manage his uncle William Lane's drug stores, along with his cousin and dear friend Ed Carter, who later ran his own drug store. William left the drug store and went to work in Rieglewood at the new paper mill being built there in the 1950's. He remained there as a papermaker until 1977 when he had a heart attack and heart surgery. He fought back from being a cardiac cripple to a new life of retirement, working just as hard as he did before. Poppy was a strong and gifted man. He could build, fix and create anything he desired, a master craftsman. Dad found his savior in Jesus Christ and he and Margaret both were active in their church, Wesley Memorial UMC and later Myrtle Grove Presbyterian Church. They shared time between Wilmington and their favorite spot at Bear Den campground in Spruce Pine, NC. Bill and Margaret had three children, William Russell Lane, Jr., recently of Wilmington and now residing in Kitty Hawk (Yvonne Taylor Lane), Frank Harden Lane of Wilmington and Dr. Charles J. Lane (Sherry Solon Lane) of Hardy, V.A. He has four grandchildren, Jenny Lane DiStefano (Rob) of Raleigh with two great grandchildren Anna Jane and Kate, Russ Lane of New Orleans, L.A. and Keely and Aisha Lane of Wilmington. He embraced his step-grandchildren Katie Phillips Seidel (Eric and newborn Addison) of Wilmington and Joshua Phillips, Fort Campbell, K.Y. as his own. Surviving siblings are Virginia Chappell of Greenville, S.C., Maria Corey of Roxobel, Earl Lane of Kure Beach, N.C. and Charles T. Lane of Rocky Mount, N.C. Poppy lost Margaret, his dearest love in January, 2007 after 52 years of marriage. He longed to be with her every day after, to share with her ‘hinds feet in high places’. We were just so fortunate to borrow him for another 5 years. His knowledge, advice and companionship will be greatly missed. There is a household of newfoundland dogs that awaken every morning waiting for him to rise and start the day. As Poppy would say his ‘string finally ran out’. Even though we had him for 88 years, his string was too short for us. After cremation, a family interment service will be held at later date. Funeral arrangements made by Flora Funeral Service and Cremation Center, Rocky Mount, Virginia.