Horace Auberry

Hayesville, NC-Horace Ray Auberry, age 74, passed away at his Waynesville residence on Tuesday, November 1, 2005. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Carolyn Chandler Auberry, originally from Weaverville; a daughter, Chandra Auberry, of Hayesville; a son, Kent Auberry and his wife, Deborah Hayes, of Greensboro; grandchildren, Michael and Laura Auberry of Greensboro; sisters, Kathryn Arrant and husband, Lomer, of Waynesville, Frances Sanderson of Waynesville, and Edith Ramsey of Murphy; and several nieces and nephews. Mr. Auberry was a native of Hayesville, NC and maintained residences in Waynesville and Hayesville. He was the son of the late Charles Andrew Auberry and Lillie Hampton Auberry of Hayesville. Mr. Auberry attended Kent State University and graduated from Western Carolina University with a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Mathematics. He was then stationed in Okinawa with the US Army. After his service in the army, Mr. Auberry was employed by Timken Roller Bearing in Ohio where he had worked summers while attending college. Mr. Auberry returned to Western North Carolina to join Wellco Enterprises, Inc., as an industrial engineer in 1959. He remained employed by Wellco for over 40 years, rising to the position of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. He was Chairman Emeritus and a director of Wellco at the time of his death. Through his association with Wellco, Mr. Auberry was a leader in the United States footwear industry, serving on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of American Footwear Industries Association and the Government Contracts Steering Committee of the American Apparel and Footwear Association. He was instrumental in the design of much of the combat footwear in current use in the US military, including the desert boot worn by our troops in the Middle East. As part of his service to Wellco and for personal reasons, Mr. Auberry traveled the world with visits to locales such as Beirut, Cairo, Teheran, Moscow, Beijing, Sri Lanka, Kenya, as well as most of Europe and South America. He served as a member of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization on the Leather Panel for a number of years. He was also involved in a number of civic and charitable organizations. He served as the Chair of the Clay County Democratic Party. He was a member of the Executive Advisory Committee of the Daniel Boone Council of the Boy Scouts of America and was a recipient of the Silver Beaver Award for service to Scouting. He had served on the Administrative and Pastor Parish Committees of Long's Chapel United Methodist Church and was on the Pastor Parish Committee and Finance Committee of Sweetwater United Methodist Church in Hayesville. After retiring from Wellco, Mr. Auberry and his wife formed Auberry Holdings, LLC, building and remodeling homes and apartments for lease in Hayesville. Prior to his recent illness, Mr. Auberry was an avid cyclist, frequently seen on the roads and byways of his beloved Western North Carolina. Each July, he biked the 85-mile trip from Lake Junaluska to Hayesville. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 5, 2005 at Long's Chapel UMC with the Reverends Robert E. Fuquay and Michael Binger officiating. The family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. on Friday, November 4 at Wells Funeral Home of Waynesville. Burial will follow at Crawford Ray Memorial Gardens. Serving as pallbearers will be Mr. Auberry's nephews. Honorary pallbearers will be Wellco employees. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Sweetwater United Methodist Church, Hayesville, NC 28904; Long's Chapel UMC, P.O. Box 459, Lake Junaluska 28745; Haywood Regional Medical Center Hospice, 560 Leroy George Drive, Clyde, NC 28721, or the American Cancer Society, 90 Stiles Road, Canton, NC 28716.

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