Paul LeRoy Mize Jr.

Paul LeRoy Mize, Jr. was born January 11, 1921, to the late Paul L. Mize, Sr. and Grace Tucker Mize of Bonner Springs, Kansas. He grew up and attended the public schools in that northeast Kansas community.

He served his country during WWII for nearly three and one-half years, including combat duty in Europe with the 355th Infantry Regiment of the 89th Division, attaining the rank of Master Sergeant, and earning the Combat Infantry Badge, Good Conduct Medal, and European Theater Ribbon with two bronze stars.

Paul and Cornelia Broome of Aurora, N.C. were married shortly after his honorable discharge from the Army in March, 1946. They had met in Raleigh prior to the 89th Division’s deployment to Europe. They resided in Chapel Hill while Paul was attaining a B.S. degree in Commerce at U.N.C. and moved to Raleigh in 1949 when he was employed as Assistant Casualty Actuary with the N.C. Department of Insurance. They moved to Cary, North Carolina in 1953.

Paul resigned from the North Carolina Department of Insurance in 1950 to become Assistant Manager of the North Carolina Automobile Rate Administrative Office, one of the predecessors of the North Carolina Rate Bureau from which he retired as General Manager in 1986.

He was an avid golfer, proud of his three holes-in-one and of having “shot his age” at 73 in 1994. He was also an avid woodworker, having built a number of the articles of furniture in his home and many small entertaining and useful items. He was proud also of his honorary membership in the Women’s Society of the First United Methodist Church, Cary, awarded for his numerous woodworking contributions to the annual Bazaar formerly conducted by the women of the church.

Paul was predeceased by his parents and by his brothers Glenn T. in 1945 and George H. in 2004. He is survived his wife of 64 years: Cornelia Broome Mize; son: Glenn Alan Mize and wife Betty, of Cary; Daughters; Linda Kushman and husband John and Gail Jacks, all of Pittsboro; grandchildren: Marsha and Alan Mize and Sam and Luke Jacks; and by his sister: Eleanor Head and husband Kenneth, of Paola, KS.

Family will receive friends on Friday evening from 6-8 PM at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Cary. Private graveside services will be held at Wake Memorial Park.

Memorials may be made to the Salvation Army - 215 South Person Street - Raleigh, North Carolina 27601 in Paul’s memory.

Please take a moment to sign the guestbook below.