BRYSON CITY - Troy Lee Whiteside Jr. of Bryson City, was born April 7, 1935. He died Sept. 22, 2020 at home after an extended illness.
Preceding him in death were his parents, Troy Lee Whiteside Sr. and Exie Messer Whiteside; brother Roy Whiteside; sisters Sue Whiteside Ashe and Annie Mae Whiteside Taylor; nephew NC Master Trooper Calvin Eugene Taylor; and niece Karen Ashe Mason.
Troy leaves behind his wife of 65 years, Edna Duvall Whiteside; his brother Jerry William Whiteside (Winnona) of Greenville, South Carolina; his children: Troy Lee Whiteside III (Kathy) of Whittier, Joann Whiteside (Robert Long), and Norma Whiteside Pattillo (Sam) of Bryson City; grandchildren, Amy Fortune (Dan), Becky Whiteside, Jenny Whiteside, Brandi Claxton (Jason), Ashley Claxton (Cola), Robert Pattillo, Lee Pattillo (Elyssa) and Brette Pattillo; great-grandchildren, Scout, Rowan, Levi Troy, Stiles, Hannah, Dagny and Sigrid; foster sons, Thomas Jordan and Kevin Grishaber; step-grandchildren, Cody Long, Cory Darnell (Nate), Cassie Alexander (Mike) and Ryan Long; step-great-grandchildren, Ryleigh, Mattox, Obidiah, Sophia, Fletcher, Blossom, Jaylee and Maggie; as well as nieces and nephews that he loved dearly and friends and neighbors from all walks of his life.
Troy was a welder by trade and worked at the Franklin Machine Company as a supervisor for 40 years. At the age of 67 Troy and Edna trained to be therapeutic foster parents until the age of 73.
Troy and family participated in the Western North Carolina Wagon Train beginning in 1972 in multiple roles. He was a board member, Chief Scout, Wagon Master, Singer/Songwriter, Story Teller, Trail Blazer, President, and Honorary President until his death.
Troy has been a member of Saw Mill Hill Free Will Baptist Church for over 50 years. He loved his church family and loved to sing over the years through the choir, a gospel quartet, and solo. His beautiful bass voice will be missed.
A service was held on Saturday, Sept. 26 outside at the home of Troy and Edna Whiteside. Visitation was an hour prior to the service. The Reb. Jimmy Lambert officiated the services. Pallbearers were Jim Barton, Tripp Davis, Russell Odell, Jack Parton, Larry Pickens, Tommy Davis, Randel Griggs and Ronnie Griggs. Honorary pallbearers were Robert Coggins and Wayne Dutton. At the conclusion of the service Wagoneer Gary Hoyle transported the casket by wagon to Davis Cemetery for a graveside service.
As Troy wrote and sang often, “When they roll my box up there, and my friends come to see. Don’t tell them what I did for God, tell them what He did for me.”