John H. Clontz

Funeral service will be held on Saturday, October 17, 2015 at 2:00 pm at West Market Street United Methodist Church with Rev. Pam Strader officiating. The family will visit with friends immediately following the service in the Gathering Space.

John was born in Morganton, NC to the late Charles and Carrie Epley Clontz. He was a graduate of Appalachian State University. In his early life his pursuits were hunting and playing golf, later, he enjoyed watching golf, football, basketball and wonderful family tailgates.

John, his wife “Hedgie” and children were long time members of Sedgefield Country Club, the Sedgefield Garden Club and the Sedgefield Investment Club. There they enjoyed swimming, tennis, golf, dining and many other club social activities as well as some great Greater Greensboro Open and Wyndham Golf Championship finals.

John was a protégé of Hoyt Bray who was an American Furniture Hall of Fame member. He loved working with Hoyt at Reliance Universal, Inc. in High Point, NC. The company was later bought by Tyler Company of Texas and later bought by Akzo-Nobel, an 8 billion dollar Netherlands conglomerate. John began with Reliance as a chemist, later became a salesman, then sales manager and eventually Vice President and General Sales Manager. Even after retiring from the Company he continued as a consultant for them for a number of years.

He was a longtime member of the AFMA, the American Furniture Manufacturer’s Association. John’s entire life’s work history was with this one company, a rarity these days, making and selling chemical coatings for wood and eventually plastics, metals and other things in the furniture industry. In his association with the company he got to participate in many outings for the employees there, as well as travel to Chile, South America and Singapore in Asia. He and his wife were fortunate enough to have attended 26 Kentucky Derby’s in a row in the 70s-80s era because they entertained for and with Reliance which was based in Louisville, KY at that time.

As part of his work for Reliance he was very involved in raising substantial funds for the United Way and the American Cancer Society. Later in life he continued his charitable work efforts with and giving to the Salvation Army, The American Cancer Society and West Market Street United Methodist Church and it’s charitable and other programs.

John and Hoyt Bray and Charles H. “Skipper” West, Jr. were among the founding members of The Off Island Gun Club near Manteo, NC. Their families and others have enjoyed duck hunting, fishing and swimming in many winters and summers since the founding. Hoyt and John loved the fall and spent several weekends together cooking huge pots of Brunswick stew and making country hams for themselves and gifts to others.

He was preceded in death by his parents and sibling, Charles Ervin Clontz and Mildred Clontz.

He is survived by his wife of fifty-six years, Helen Stewart Poston Clontz; son, John Stewart Clontz; daughter Rebecca Clontz Nichols and husband Sam of Durham; grandchildren, Foster Gray Nichols, Abigail Morgan Nichols, John Nicholas Clontz and William Poston Clontz; brothers, Wallace Laxton Clontz, James William Clontz and sister Patricia C. West.

In lieu of flowers, memorial may be sent to West Market Street United Methodist Church, West Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27401 to further their charitable works.

Hanes Lineberry North Elm Chapel is assisting the Clontz family. Online condolences may be made @ www.haneslineberryfuneralhomes.com