Maurice Eury's Obituary
Maurice Howard Eury, Sr. passed away peacefully August 20, 2018 after a courageous battle with illness.
Maurice, or “Poppy” to his four beloved grandchildren, was born in Iredell County on October 24, 1942, to Pearl Eugene Eury and Lucille Howard Eury. He was an employee of the United States Postal Service for nearly 40 years, retiring in 2003. He went on to find great personal satisfaction in a post-retirement stint as a bus driver for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools for ten years, getting to know the children and grandchildren of his neighbors and his own sons’ schoolmates. He found real joy in getting up before the sun and taking care of his little passengers, who returned his affection with cards and notes that he cherished.
Maurice met Carole Smith in the fall of 1963, when they were both young employees at NCNB. They would have marked their 55th anniversary in December 2018. After a few years in Charlotte he eventually wore her down and persuaded her to move to his hometown of Cornelius in distant north Mecklenburg County. Until the end of his life he cherished the old mill town, where his parents had met in the local cotton mill and where he had grown up with his brother in a house that he could still drive by every day. He took pride in the fact that his parents and previous generations had worked in the mills, even as he was clear eyed about what a difficult life it was. A great influence on his young life was his beloved Aunt Eugenia (“Nuna”) Deaton, who shaped him and was his rock until her death.
Maurice instilled in his sons Howard and Steve his own great interest in history and politics, and never expressed any regret about that even after they got old enough to argue with him. Throughout his life he had many interests, some of which came and went (NASCAR, square dancing, banjo lessons) and some of which were eternal (family history, aviation, Cubs baseball and the Andy Griffith Show). But what remained constant was a soft spot for animals. From raptors to backyard birds to an at-first begrudging acceptance, but eventually a great love for cats. Among his many mourners is “Greg,” his clumsy feline pal who was his steadfast companion during his illnesses and who has found his son to be a poor substitute as a bunkmate in recent months.
Maurice was enormously proud of his four grandchildren – Quinn, Kaitlyn, Adam and Michael. In recent years they were also a source of determination to keep his illness at bay so that he could help put them on the road to adulthood. For a man who took pride above all in his work ethic, he knew that this last task was his most important and the values he helped instill in them will be with them forever.
Additionally, Maurice is survived by daughters-in-law Dara and Joyce Eury, his younger brother Wilford Eury and his wife Nancy, and their three adult children whom he adored: Lauren Donaldson and husband John, Matt Eury and wife Ruth Ann and Jon Eury. He also loved and cherished family friend Amy Neely, who spent a large part of her childhood by his side.
The family would like to thank Cornelius’ Bravest, the men and women of Cornelius-Lemley Volunteer Fire Department, who came to their aid in many ways in recent years, and to the nurses and staff of Hospice of Lake Norman and Olde Knox Commons for their loving care and empathy in recent months.
A Memorial Service will be held in the Chapel of James Funeral Home, 10520 Arahova Drive, Huntersville, NC at 2:00 PM, Saturday, August 25, with Rev. Lonnie Karriker officiating. The family will receive friends immediately following the service in the Community Room of the funeral home.
Memorial gifts can be made to Hospice of Lake Norman, Levine Cancer Center and Cornelius Animal Shelter.
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