William Roger Canady

William Roger Canady, Sr. of Wilmington, passed away surrounded by family on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at age 82. William, who preferred to be called “Roger” was born on January 6, 1944, in Wilmington, son of the late Roy and Edith (Fowler) Canady.

Roger grew up in Wilmington and spent over 60 years working at the Ford Dealership, primarily as a mechanic and as he aged, he shifted his responsibilities to more of an advisory role, but he remained a faithful employee until he could no longer work and finally took a break in late 2025 when he began his cancer treatments. As an avid sportsman, Roger enjoyed everything from racing cars, to offshore fishing and playing golf. He was a member of the SunCoast Cruiser Classic Car Club and the American Legion.

He is survived by his daughter, Melody Clanton and her husband, Wayne; a granddaughter, Adrienne Bordeaux Graham; a bonus granddaughter, Sarah Elizabeth Clanton, 3 great-grandchildren, Hayley Nicole Jacobs, Chase Owens Jacobs, and Sophia Jayne Watts; a great-great grandson, Gabriel Alexander Lavoie. Roger is survived by his brother Joseph Canady and his wife, Shelby; along with multiple nieces, nephews, friends, and companion, Sarah Stevens and her children.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, William Roger Canady, Jr. and his sister, Margie Hayes. The family would also like to recognize and thank CNA Angela at the Whiteville Liberty Rehab and Liberty Hospice Nurse Krista Hardee for the compassionate daily support and attentive hands-on care they provided.

A celebration of life service will be held at Oak Grove Baptist Church located at 7990 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28411 on Saturday, August 22, 2026 at 3:00pm. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations can be made to Oak Grove Baptist Church in memory of William Roger Canady. Please leave condolences for the family online.