Harold Preston Hornaday

Greensboro, NC: Harold Preston Hornaday, 85, of Greensboro, formerly of Concord, NC, Greenville, SC, and Dataw Island, SC, died peacefully in his sleep from causes related to Parkinson’s disease and Lewy Body Dementia on Thursday, April 14, 2011 at Well Spring Retirement Community, Greensboro, NC.

Born March 31, 1926, he was the son of Dr. Wayne A. Hornaday and Ruth Dameron Hornaday. He was a graduate of Greensboro High School, Greensboro, and of Duke University, graduating with a BA degree in Economics. He was a veteran of World War II, having served as a First Lieutenant in the US Navy.

Mr. Hornaday began his career with Cannon Mills Company in 1949 as an industrial engineer. He held various management positions with Cannon, and assumed the duties of President and CEO in 1973, and Chairman of the Board of Directors in 1975, and served as such until his retirement. Subsequently, he worked as consultant and strategic product planner for the towel and sheet divisions with JP Stevens & Co. in Greenville, SC and New York, NY, until his retirement to Dataw Island, SC. He served as a Director and member of the Executive Committee of the American Textile Manufacturers Institute and as a member of the Executive Committee of the NC Textile Manufacturers Association.

Mr. Hornaday was a member of West Market Street United Methodist Church in Greensboro. He was formerly a member of Central United Methodist Church, Concord, NC, and Buncombe Street United Methodist Church, Greenville, SC, and was active in all phases of church life. He was active in many civic organizations, including the United Way of Cabarrus County, the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross and served as a Charter Member of the Advisory Board of Duke Hospital, Durham, NC, and as a volunteer at Beaufort Memorial Hospital, Beaufort, SC.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Hornaday was preceded in death by his beloved son, William Harold Hornaday, his brothers, Wayne A. Hornaday, Jr. and Richard D. Hornaday, his sister, Irma Hornaday Gray, his sister-in-law, Helen Hornaday, and his sister-in-law, Martha Anne Millikan.

Mr. Hornaday was a devoted husband, father, and friend. Among those left to cherish his memory are his loving wife of 62 years, Anne Millikan Hornaday, his daughter and son-in-law, Suzanne H. and Matthew L. Birmingham of Concord, his sister, Betty Hornaday Schenk of Greensboro, his sister-in-law, Margie Hornaday of Lake Lure, his brother-in-law, James B. Millikan of Greensboro, his sister-in-law, Jean Millikan Frissell and her husband, Fred, of Burlington, many nieces and nephews, and his very special friend and caregiver, Nikki Spencer of Greensboro.

A memorial service will be held Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 2:00 pm in the Richardson Auditorium at Well Spring Retirement Community (4100 Well Spring Drive; www.well-spring.org/contact/), with Chaplain John S. Akers officiating. The family will receive friends in the Rotunda at Well Spring following the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Children’s Home Society of NC, P.O. Box 14608, Greensboro, NC 27415 or Well Spring Benevolent Fund, Well Spring Retirement Community, 4100 Well Spring Drive, Greensboro, NC 27410.

A special heartfelt thanks goes to the staff at Well Spring Health Care Services and especially the nurses and caregivers of the Memory Care unit for their excellent and compassionate care and support over the years, and to Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro.

On line condolences may be mad to www.haneslineberryfuneralhomes.com.