Mr. John Robert Truitt

A memorial service celebrating his life will be held at 2:00 pm Thursday, November 14, 2013 at First Baptist Church in Greensboro, with Rev. Lori Cater officiating. A private inurnment will be held prior to the memorial service at First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro.

John was born in Greensboro on July 5, 1921 to the late William Brooks Truitt and Esther Pearl Lowe. He received his engineering degree from North Carolina State University in 1942. He was briefly employed at Tennessee Valley Authority during the early years of World War II. He was summoned back to Greensboro to set up and supervise 12 hour night shifts, 6 days a week a the family owned business, Truitt Manufacturing Company, for the myriad of defense contracts awarded to all manufacturing facilities in the country by the government after December 7, 1941, for conduct of the war. After the war he became Vice President of sales in the business until it was sold in the late fifties to Carolina Steel and Edmunds Manufacturing Company. He and his father built a facility in Colfax in the early 60’s, known as Truitt Metal Fabricators. Following his father’s passing in 1962 the business was operated several more years until it was acquired by another company. After a period of private consulting work he was employed by Beaman Corporation as Manager and Facilities Engineer. John designed and supervised the construction of its fabricating facility in Liberty, NC. He was licensed a Professional Engineer and spent his last 23 years of employment at Williams Steel Company, as Chief Engineer. Following his “retirement” he engaged in private consulting practice at his home office, until he and his wife moved to Friends Home West in 2008, when he was 86. If engineering was his vocation, then singing was his avocation. Beginning in high school he was a member of the glee club and also sang in the choir of his home church, the Southern Christian Church (later becoming Congregational United Church of Christ). John became a part-time soloist at First Baptist Church and then a full time soloist at First Presbyterian Church and remained in that position for almost 30 years. During this period he was a guest soloist in oratorios and other sacred works in many area churches. He also appeared in opera productions of the local group under the sponsorship of Euterpe Club. John served as Music Director of the Young Men’s Bible Class where he carried on the long tradition of enthusiastic singing of old gospel hymns to start each session. He also served as an Elder, was a member of the Music Committee, the Property Committee, and also the Advisory Committee on the structural upgrading of the New Life Center Building. John was also on the Task Force for the procurement and installation of the massive new LeTournau Organ in 2000. He joined The Greensboro Kiwans Club in 1954 and in 1969 became its song leader again carrying out a long tradition of singing at their weekly meetings. John was named Kiwanian of the Year in 1991 and was also honored as a Hixon Fellow. He sent in a letter of resignation in January 2010 that was not accepted by the Board and he was made a life-time member. John was the youngest of five children and in addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his brothers, William O. Truitt and Wallace B. Truitt; sisters, Frances Truitt Smith and Dorothy Truitt Powell; and a daughter, Laura Truitt Blair.

Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of 63 years, Laura Little Truitt; son, John E. Truitt of Greensboro; daughter, Teresa Truitt Brown of Chapel Hill; grandchildren, Mark Andrew Brown, Amanda Gail Brown, Benjamin Paul Brown, and Wesley Grace Brown.

The family will receive friends from 5 until 8 pm Wednesday evening, November 13, 2013, at Hanes-Lineberry N. Elm St. Chapel, at 515 N. Elm St., Greensboro, NC 27401.

The family would like to offer special thanks to the staff at Home Instead and Friends Home West who provided such excellent care and enabled John to live with independence and dignity.

Memorial contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church or to the charity of one’s choice.

Online condolences may be made at www.haneslineberryfuneralhomes.com.