May 7, 2024, 98, Little River, SC —

Cecil Ray Columbus, known as Daddy C to his family and many others, passed away Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in his temporary home at River Park in Little River, SC. He was 98. Family and friends will agree that he was singing as he passed through the gates of heaven.

Visitation will be Wednesday, May 15, beginning at 12:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Mount Olive in its Christian Life Center. Funeral services will follow at 1:30 p.m. in the church sanctuary. Officiating will be Dr. Dennis Atwood. Burial will follow at Wayne Memorial Park.

Mr. Columbus was preceded in death by his wife, Helen Kelly Columbus; daughter, Jerry Reaves Thompson; daughter-in-law, Terry Kennedy Columbus; parents, Chris Columbus and Thelma Turner Columbus Dyer; and a brother, Chris Columbus, Jr.

He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Nicholas “Nick” and Vicki Columbus of North Myrtle Beach, SC; grandchildren, Luther Thompson of Mount Olive, and Jeffery Thompson and wife, Andrea, of Faison; great-grandchildren, Taylor Louise Thompson of Mount Olive, and Chase King of Faison; a brother and sister-in-law, the Rev. Jim Dyer and Ruth Ann Dyer of Wake Forest; a sister, Doris C. Edwards of Princeton, West Va.; a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, J. T. and Maxine Kelly of Rose Hill;

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Born in Goldsboro, he attended Saint Mary’s Grammar School and then graduated from Goldsboro High School with the class of 1943. Drafted into the United States Army in 1944, Cecil was stationed at Camp Lee, Virginia. While in high school, he was a member of the elite drum and bugle corps, and during his time in the service he was assigned to a special music corp that played for dignitaries, officers, and special events. Because of his accomplished playing of the trumpet, he was named “Bugle Boy of Company B.

After leaving the military, he met a girl named Helen. She would soon become the love of his life and they were married for 63 years. He resided for most of his adult life at 617 Northwest Center Street in Mount Olive. He spent 27 years employed with Western & Southern Life Insurance Company, first as an agent, and later as agency manager.

Cecil was deeply devoted to his family, church, and his community. He became a member of the First Baptist Church of Mount Olive in 1954 and sang in the chancel choir for most of the ensuing years.. He loved every minute of singing in the choir and rarely missed a rehearsal.

In his devotion to his community, he was a charter member of the Mount Olive Rescue Squad and served for 34 years. He was awarded a lifetime membership in the N. C. Association of Rescue and Emergency Medical Services.

Mr. Columbus was a member of the Mount Olive Lions Club for 35 years and received many honors and awards for his outstanding involvement and service. In 1997, he received the Outstanding Senior Citizen Award, presented by the Mount Olive Jaycees and the Mount Olive Lion’s Club. He was a charter member of the Waylin AARP group and served on many committees and as the group’s president. He affiliated himself with the Wayne County Chapter of the American Red Cross, devoting over ten years of dedicated service. In the local “Read to Succeed” program, he volunteered at Carver Elementary School in Mount Olive where he would assist children with their reading needs

Cecil loved to sing to anyone, anywhere, anytime! He loved spending time with family and special time with his great-granddaughter, Taylor Louise, and never missed an opportunity to share birthday and holiday greetings with all of his family, especially with Taylor and her cousin, Chase. In his earlier years, he enjoyed playing golf, and traveling with Helen; often spontaneously with a trip to the mountains, and of course, many shopping excursions, as he and Helen both loved to shop. Even in his old age, he continued to shop, as Nick would take him in the wheelchair.

The last few years of Cecil’s life were spent at North Myrtle Beach where he relocated to be near Nick and Vicki. A fall at home necessitated this move. He had planned to live with Nick and Vicki, but after a stent at an assisted living center in Little River to receive rehabilitation, he found he “loved it” and made the choice to remain there. He enjoyed the fellow residents and the staff. Loved by all, he was always singing, especially to the ladies, and soon gained the title of “Mayor of River Park.” Aside from all the friends he had made in Mount Olive, he gained many more while in North Myrtle Beach, as he attended the shag dance clubs and many other social events

Cecil Columbus will be missed by many. He was an integral part of his family and church family, and he missed his beloved Helen, often speaking of her and looking forward to the day of seeing her again. That day came on May 7, 2024. We can only be happy for his find, that grand reunion, instead of feeling sad for our loss. While he spent the last few years in South Carolina, his home always was in Mount Olive. A special thanks to his church and community for the special love and support shown to him over his long, good, and productive life.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to