OBITUARY Henry Lee Cranford Jr. April 12, 1928 – November 22, 2018 Henry Lee Cranford Jr. died Nov. 22, 2018 after a brief bout with pneumonia at Southminster retirement community in Charlotte, where he had lived for nine years. He was born April 12, 1928 in Greensboro to Henry Lee Sr. and Myrtle Hunter Cranford.
His father died in 1932, and shortly after the family home went into foreclosure. Mother and son returned to the northern outskirts of Winston-Salem to build a two-room house on family land with the proceeds of a life insurance policy. Myrtle never remarried, and the family endured the hardships of the Great Depression as best they could.
Henry possessed a sharp mind and plenty of ambition, and he was able to attend Duke University on a scholarship provided by the Hanes family of Winston-Salem. He registered as an electrical engineering major “because the guy in front of him had done so,” he would say. While he did well at Duke, Henry liked to tell the story of getting an “E” in chemistry because his teacher knew he could not fail the class and graduate.
After school, Henry moved to Charlotte in 1949 to work as an engineer at Duke Power Co. In Charlotte, he met Mary Mowiser, a pretty dietician from Lakeland, Fla. , and they married in 1952. Henry approached having a family with characteristic efficiency, with four children born between November 1954 and March 1958.
Henry Lee III, Mark, Steve and Mary Anne were in successive grades at Selwyn Elementary, A.G. Junior High and Myers Park High School. The family attended Myers Park Baptist Church where he was an active member. At work, Henry realized management was the best path to advancement, so he transferred out of engineering.
A series of promotions followed at Duke, where Henry was known for a dry sense of humor and a fondness for a pipe. He was regarded as a tough but fair boss. He realized the importance of civic engagement for Duke employees, and he was active in Rotary, United Way, Spirit Square and served as director and president of Child Care Res.
He required managers to become involved with their communities in the Carolinas. He retired in 1991 as senior vice president in charge of customer services. With his humble roots, Henry was a committed advocate for women and minorities at Duke.
He truly enjoyed his career and colleagues. Henry and Mary enjoyed traveling with the Friendship Force and hosting foreigners in their home. They journeyed to China, South Korea, Mongolia, England, Russia and Australia.
Henry was an avid golfer and enjoyed the camaraderie of his regular foursome at Myers Park Country Club and any other occasion he had to play. Surviving him are his wife, Mary, of Southminster; sons Mark of Fort Myers, Fla. , and Steve of Charlotte (Koren); and daughter Mary Anne Martin of Huntersville (Fred).
His oldest son, Lee, died in 1974 as the result of an accident. Also surviving are grandchildren Caitlin, Caroline, Lauren, Sam, Will and Adam. The family would like to thank the assisted-living staff at Southminster for their appreciation of a unique character and for the medical care provided by Dr. Thad Clements and the nurses for comforting Henry as his health declined.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 27 at Myers Park Baptist Church. A reception will follow in Heaton Hall at the church.
Memorials can be made to the college scholarship fund at Myers Park Baptist Church, the Southminster Foundation or the Urban Ministry Center. Online condolences may be offered at www.
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