Obituaries & tributes
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Harold James Vance
1939 — 2026 · A quiet steward of bridges, rivers, and the people he loved.
Harold James Vance passed peacefully on April 18, 2026, surrounded by family. Born in the Blue Ridge foothills to a schoolteacher and a small-town mechanic, Harold grew into a man who believed nothing was beneath him and everything could be repaired with enough patience. He served four honorable years in the US Army before returning home to study civil engineering at NC State, where he later met his wife of fifty-one years, Margaret. Over a career spanning four decades, Harold designed bridges across three states. Friends will remember him for his unhurried voice, his insistence on measuring twice, and the way he ended every phone call with 'drive carefully now.' He is survived by his daughter Joanne; his son Ethan and wife Naomi; four grandchildren; and a constellation of nieces, nephews, and former students.
Celeste Morrow
1952 — 2026 · Restorer of old paintings and older souls.
Celeste Morrow (née Beaumont), 73, passed at home on April 21, surrounded by the work she loved. For four decades she kept the region's most fragile paintings alive — a restorer who treated every canvas as if it had spoken to her first. She is survived by her husband David and a wide circle of students, colleagues, and friends who will miss her kind, deliberate hands.