Ted Bright Obituary, Death – Marion resident Ted Bright passed away at the age of 85 at Autumn Care of Marion on April 6, 2023. Ted Bright’s parents, William Justice Bright and Ida Pool Bright, both of whom have passed away, gave birth to him on May 13, 1937, in Marion. Ted used to frequently attend services at Providence United Methodist Church in Marion, but his illness prevented him from doing so.
Ted graduated from Marion High School with the class of 1955. He worked in a variety of fields until graduating from Clevanger Business college in 1960. In 1962, Ted started working as a special agent for the NC Farm Bureau, the South Farm Bureau, and the NCBC Blue Shield. He was the youngest North Carolina agency manager for 20 years.
Ted was able to sell over a million dollars’ worth of life insurance over his career, earning him multiple trips and the Million Dollar Award. He started his own agency in 1981 and was passionate about his business until the day he resigned. As a longtime member of the McDowell Saddle and Bridle Club, Ted shared his passion for horses by instructing countless kids in the art of riding. He was a baseball star in his youth and remains a loyal fan of the Braves to this day.
Ted cherished his wife, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and friends. Time spent with family and friends, horseback riding, and tending to his garden of homegrown tomatoes are the things his loved ones will remember most about him. Maude Blankenship Bright, Ted’s wife, and his sisters Wilma Reel, Betty Ann Whitson, Selma Jones, and Willie Mae Davis all before him in death.
Susan Bright Bell (Dr. William B. Bell), Ted’s daughter in Nebo, along with their grandchildren William Chandler Bell and Olivia Caroline Bell, along with his best friend Jeanne Hensley and many nieces and nephews like Janet Hughes, Sally Jean Peterson, Venita Coleman, Sonya Ruppe, Janice Waycaster, Linda Hamilton, Cynthia Jones, and Gary DeHaven, will carry on Ted’s legacy.
The nurses and staff at Autumn Care of Marion provided Ted with exceptional care, and his family would like to convey their gratitude.
On Monday, April 10, 2023, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm, family and friends are invited to gather at the Westmoreland Funeral Home Chapel in Marion for a time of visitation. At three o’clock, Rev. Barb Mayo will preside over a memorial ceremony for Ted.
The burial will take place in the Providence Church Cemetery in Marion. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Providence United Methodist Church, 83 Providence Church Rd., Marion, NC 28752, or the McDowell Saddle and Bridle Club, 8786 NC 226, attention Katie Davis.
