Everette Henry Cross

Everette Henry “E.H.” Cross, 89, passed away on August 13, 2018. He was born to the late Charlie H. Cross, Sr. and Nellie F. Jones Cross on October 25, 1928 in Raleigh, NC. Everette was born in Northern Wake County and lived in the Raleigh area all of his life. He graduated from Knightdale High School in 1949. A true sportsman, “E.H.” played on the baseball and basketball teams at Knightdale.

After graduation, he was drafted into the Army and served until his discharge in 1953. During his enlistment, he was deployed to West Germany for 18 months as part of the peacetime occupation force with the 102nd Infantry. He received several awards including the Army of Occupation Medal.

Prior to his overseas Army duty, he married Dorothy Jean Ferguson. They were married, until her death, for 65 years. Upon returning home, he began employment with Bell South as a lineman. He remained with the company his entire career and retired with 43 years of service as a Construction Engineer.

“E.H.” loved gardening and raising vegetables and fruits. Like his mother, he had a grapevine in the yard and enjoyed each September when they would ripen. He was always happiest when he was on his tractor in the field. He was a member of the A.F.&A.M. of North Carolina for 45 years. He was always up for socializing, whether it was playing checkers at the “Talking Store” or attending the monthly get-togethers of the “49ers”, his Knightdale High School graduating class.

He loved his family and was always more than happy to tell you about his grandchildren and show you photos of them. He was always active in following the grandchildren’s sports teams at Leesville High School and Randolph-Macon College in Virginia. Many of their teammates knew him well as “Papa” Cross.

He is survived by his son, Byron and wife Pam, his grandchildren Dr. Amanda Cross (Nebraska), Barrett Morgan Cross (Virginia), Matthew Cross (Virginia) and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was the youngest of the family and was preceded in death by his brothers Frank B. Cross, Sanford T. Cross, and Charlie H. Cross, Jr. and sisters Missouri Poole, Elizabeth Carter, Mary Newton, Lydia Watkins, and Pearl Rebecca Johnson.

Family will receive friends on Sunday, August 19, 2018 from 1:00 - 2:30 pm at Mitchell Funeral Home, with Funeral Services to be held in the chapel of the funeral home at 2:30 pm. Interment, with Military Honors, will follow at Leesville Road Baptist Church Cemetery, Raleigh.

In lieu of Flowers, donations may be made to Transitions Hospice of Wake County or the Randolph Macon Yellow Jacket Club https://www.rmc.edu/alumni/give-now