James Raymond Nance

James Raymond Nance died peacefully at the age of 100 on August 12, 2026, at Trinity Place. A funeral service celebrating his life will be held on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at 1:00 PM at Central United Methodist Church in Albemarle and will be officiated by the Reverend Dr. David Blankenberg. Burial will follow at Stanly Gardens of Memory. Mr. Nance, son of the late Raymond E. Nance and Mary Verdie White Nance, was born on September 14, 1925, in Asheboro, North Carolina. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Annie Velna Nance; his brother, Max Alfred Nance; and his stepmother, Katy Belle Cagle Nance, who assumed the role of his mother following his biological mother’s death when he was nine years old. Mr. Nance attended Wake Forest College and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in Commerce. During his time at UNC, he was a member of the Student Council and President of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. Mr. Nance was also a distinguished veteran of World War II, having served with the 100th Infantry Division in France and Germany. He was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, a Bronze Star Medal with a “V” device for heroic achievement, a Bronze Star Medal for meritorious achievement, three Bronze Battle Stars, and the Presidential Unit Citation. In recognition of his instrumental role in the liberation of France, he later received the French Legion of Honor Medal from the President of France. After college, Mr. Nance began working for Nance Chevrolet in Asheboro, North Carolina, and in 1949, he married Helen Faucette of Warrenton, North Carolina. He then became a Chevrolet dealer at Confederate Chevrolet in Albemarle, where he worked for 54 years before selling the dealership in 2007 and, at his wife’s insistence, retiring at the age of 82. Mr. Nance was especially proud that his dealership was frequently ranked number one in the “Customer Satisfaction” domain in the Charlotte zone. Over the years, Mr. Nance was also President of the Albemarle Lions Club, a charter member of the Albemarle Investment Club, Chairman of the Central United Methodist Church Board, Secretary of the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association, and a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association. In addition to being a scholar, a decorated veteran, a businessman, and a civic leader, Mr. Nance was a doting husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Although he was never seen without a smile, speaking about his family revealed his broadest grin, as his most cherished role in life was his role as a family man, whose legacy endures. Surviving him, in addition to his wife of 76 years, are their four children: James Edward Nance and wife Helen, Carolyn Nance Baugh and husband John, Mary Catherine Nance Ellis and husband Gene, and Susan Nance Brooks and husband Chuck. Also surviving are 10 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Central United Methodist Church in Albemarle or to the charity of the donor’s choice. Stanly Funeral Home of Albemarle is serving the family.

James Raymond Nance

September 14, 1925 - August 12, 2026