Obituary of John H. Councill

John Hardin Councill Sr., age 78, of Brookside Drive, Boone, died Saturday evening, May 31, 2008 at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. He was born November 25, 1929 in Watauga to Edward Tracy and Grace McNinch Councill. John was a member of Boone United Methodist Church. He was a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving during the Korean Conflict. John owned and operated Watauga Wood Products from 1961 to 2005 and was a real estate developer. For more than 50 years, he served on the board of directors of Watauga Medical Center and was a board member for the High Country Bank. He was recipient of the Alfred Adams Leadership Award and held memberships in the Daniel Boone Fishing Club and the Morgan Car Owners Group South. Mr. Councill is survived by; his wife, Mae Orr Ventress Councill; two sons, John Councill, Jr. of Boone and Ben Councill and Tamela Gragg of Blowing Rock; one daughter, Tracy Dee Councill and husband Don Ellison of Takoma Park, Md.; three granddaughters, Amanda Councill Dickerson and husband Hill of Wake Forest, Grace and Mollie Ellison of Takoma Park, Md., and three grandsons, Cody Dee Councill of Raleigh, Dalton Ward of Blowing Rock and Quentin Lewis of Boone; one great-granddaughter, Ava Grace Dickerson of Wake Forest; his sister, Grace Councill Atkinson of Durham; one step-daughter, Robin Ventress of Salt Lake City, Utah and step-son, Alan Ventress and wife Rosemary of Canton, Georgia; and two step-granddaughters, Hadyn and Caroline Ventress, both of Canton, Ga.. He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward Tracy and Grace McNinch Councill. Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday morning at 11 o'clock at Boone United Methodist Church, officiated by Dr. George Naff. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to Watauga Medical Center,PO Box 2600, Boone, NC 20607, to Boone United Methodist Church Building Fund, 471 New Market Blvd., Boone,NC 28607 or to the Grace McNinch Councill Education Scholarship Fund at ASU, PO Box 32007, Boone, NC 28608. The family will receive friends Tuesday evening from 6 until 8 o'clock at Austin & Barnes. Austin & Barnes Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the Councill family.