Robert Hadley Denton

Robert Hadley Denton, beloved husband, father and grandfather, died Thursday, Feb. 13, after 85 years of a life filled with devotion to family, service to his state, a career in the telephone industry, and a love of roaming the hills and wading the creeks of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Hadley was born in Lenoir, on Nov. 6, 1928, the son of Robert W. Denton and Mary Elizabeth (Mae) Thompson. He was a graduate of Lenoir High School, where he starred in football, and attended the then Appalachian State Teachers College on a football scholarship.

Service to country, state, and county was an important part of Hadley’s life. He trained as an aviation cadet in the U.S. Air Force following World War II and subsequently joined the N.C. National Guard. He spent 38 years in the Guard, retiring in 1988 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. During his five years of service with the Lenoir Recreation Commission, two years as chairman, he was a driving force in the successful effort to build the Lenoir Aquatics and Fitness Center.

After returning home from the Air Force, Hadley began a 37-year career with Southern Bell and AT&T: as a lineman, helping to bring telephone service to rural parts of the state; as an engineer; and in management.

On Valentine’s Day in 1954, Hadley proposed to the love of his life, Betty Rachel Beam, of Spruce Pine, N.C. They were married in June of that year, beginning a marriage that would last almost 60 years.

Two passions Hadley shared with his children were his love of reading and his love of the outdoors. Indoors at home, he was rarely without a book or newspaper in his hands. Outdoors, he took his children, as soon as they could walk, to fish his favorite creeks and hike his favorite trails. He provided them every possible educational opportunity and later took great pride in his children and grandchildren attending and becoming alumni of some of the finest universities in the United States.

In 1996 Hadley built a retirement home on Deer Lake at Brevard, N.C, his residence at the time of his death.

Hadley is survived by his wife, Betty; his sister, Mavis Denton Rader of Asheville; two sons, a daughter, three grandsons, and two granddaughters. His immediate family includes: Dr. Eric Hadley and Sylke Keding Denton of Berlin, Germany, and daughter, Effi Scarlett; Robert Van and Tali Denton of Raleigh and sons, Robert Taliaferro and William Hadley; Mark and Dr. Mary Elizabeth (Betsy) Burrows of Brevard and son, John Hadley, and daughter, Brooke Elizabeth.

Hadley will be buried in a private ceremony at Blue Ridge Memorial Park in Lenoir. A memorial service for friends and family will be held on Sunday, February 16, 2014, at 2 p.m. at Pendry’s Funeral Home of Lenoir. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for memorials to be made to Hospice of Transylvania County or Solace of Asheville.

Pendry’s Lenoir Funeral Home is honored to be serving the family of Robert Hadley Denton.

Online condolences may be placed at www.pendrysfuneralhome.com