Paul Wesley Heaton Sr. has been loved for 87 years.
He will continue to be loved for a lifetime, in the hearts of his family and friends.
Born January 5, 1935 in Butler County Alabama, he left this world on November 6th, 2021 and is rejoicing in heaven with Jesus and his parents Rev. Marvin Lee and Bernice Dean Heaton and his brother Glenn L. Heaton.
He is now waiting and looking out for the love of his life, Carol Mae (Sturtevant) Heaton.
They met 64 years ago in Cocoa Beach Florida and married within 6 months in Folkston Georgia. He was serving his country as an Airman in the Air Force and then he enrolled in Auburn University where he earned a degree in Industrial Engineering. He played trumpet in the Marching Band and was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity Beta-Lambda Chapter. WAR EAGLE!
His career work experience began with an internship at Bethlehem Steel in Quincy Massachusetts. His first job after college was with Newport News Shipbuilding, in Newport News, Virginia. He then moved his wife and family to Northern Virginia where he began a successful 22 yr. career as a Defense Department Contractor (co-founder of Asset Inc. and Halifax Engineering). He and Carol then moved to North Carolina in 1987 to help his son Paul Jr. start Heaton’s True Value Hardware in Roanoke Rapids. He worked for Lors Medical and again with his son Paul at Heaton Construction Inc.
Mr. Heaton was a devout Christian and music was his favorite way to worship. He sang in the choir and served as director at Methodist churches in Annandale, and Gasburg, Virginia, and Roanoke Rapids and Littleton, North Carolina. He also sang with a barbershop quartet as a member of SPEBSQSA in Annandale, Virginia. He sang with the Lakeland Singers in Littleton, North Carolina. He also loved flying and was a licensed single engine airplane pilot for many years.
Left to carry on his legacy are his wife Carol, his brother Charles and wife Jo (Pelham Al), and his devoted children Paul Jr. (Roanoke Rapids, NC), Gary and wife Beth (Strasburg, VA), Alan (Roanoke Rapids, NC), Sandra Ewell and husband Paul (Virginia Beach, VA).
He was Uncle Paul to his nieces and nephews (Jet, Glynda, Stacey, Chuck, Jill, Darci, Jenna, Wendy, Amy, and Megan) and Pop-Pop to his 10 grandchildren (Kenny, Michelle, Amanda, Julie, Clara, Greg, Mindy, Georgia, Kelly, Leslie) and 12 great grandchildren (Morgan, Wesley, Conner, Olivia, Scarlett, Gibson, Anderson, Vera, James, Sylva (1/2022), Jesse, Liam, Maya).
Friends and family were welcome to sing and rejoice at the funeral service in Littleton, North Carolina, at Littleton United Methodist Church on Wednesday, November 10th at 3 pm. Rev Stan Lewis officiated. Memorial donations can be made to the Roanoke Valley Veterans Museum in Littleton, North Carolina.