Harold Dennis Pope

Harold Dennis Pope, age 96, passed away peacefully at his home on Cleveland Road, Smithfield, NC, on October 25, 2025. Born in Johnston County on September 23, 1929, to the late Raymond Pope and Callie Jones Pope.

Harold started farming at an early age and stayed actively engaged until his retirement at age 92. He then began to supervise from his pickup as he watched his brother plant and harvest soybeans. It was hard to tell who was having the better time, Harold or the brother. His musical interest began when he, as a teen, borrowed a homemade guitar and taught himself to play a few chords. Soon, he and his cousins, brother, and others were entertaining audiences and winning contests with his original music. Eventually the world knew him as a songwriter, storyteller, poet and recording artist, all documented from Nashville to Europe.

Harold did not tire, was always jovial and lived to entertain no matter the size of the audience. Fans marveled when he sang his originals for over an hour, at age 92, and all by memory.

"Papa" begged the grands, “Sing the song about the chicken that got run over in the middle of the road, please", and he would oblique his precious little ones. His musical talent took him miles from where he started playing with cousins, a brother, nieces and a host of other musicians and bands throughout the area. The walls of his music room are filled with evidence of a successful career. However, Harold counted his family and his faith as his most cherished achievements. His favorite sayings began with “Honey child, let me tell you....” and “Put a smile on your face and a song in your heart”

A funeral service will be held at 2:00pm in the chapel of McLaurin Funeral Home on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. The family will receive friends from 12:00pm-2:00pm, just prior to the service. Burial will follow in Hills of the Neuse Memory Gardens.

In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Margie Johnson; Son, Tony (Candy Hardee) brothers, Junior (Agnes) and Pete (Berneice) Pope; and sisters, Elgie (Frank) Pope, Lois (NL) Southerland and Hilda (Gardner) Norris.

Harold is survived by his children, Delores Adams and Jo Linda (Ricky) Strickland; He was "Papa Pope" to grandchildren Garrett (Jami) and Cameron (Jamie) Pope, Loni Adams, Karen Thornton, Brittany (Andrew) Arant and Jordan (Lindsey) Strickland; great grandchildren, Rhett, Raelyn, Reynolds Eason and Turner Pope, Bailey Thornton and Davis, Noah and Hudson Arant, and Dalton and Hazleigh Strickland, Hunter and Allie Johnson; great great grandchildren, Micah and Harvey Posco and; brothers, Jackie (Cookie), Jerry and Charles (Malinda); sisters, Jewel Johnson and Ann Allen. He is cherished by many nieces and nephews.

Harold cherished the friendship of Nelda Norris, known as a fine cook, who shared his love for country music. The family acknowledges with sincere appreciation Dayon Lynch and Shirley Pierce, friends and caregivers.