Ernest Lafayette Reid Sr., age 88, passed away on New Year's Day in his home.

He was born in Troutman, NC in 1936 to the late Oscar "OJ" Reid and Dorothy Brown Reid.

In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his wife Dianne Reid; siblings, Haskell Reid, Geneva Reid Wilson, Winfred "Russ" Reid, Louise Reid Holland, and Jerry Reid.

Those left to cherish his memory include his children, Melanie Reid Murphy and husband Jason; Ernest L. Reid Jr. and wife Trena, and Chase Reid; grandchildren, Jesse Coffey, Lani Rae Reid, and Cheyenne Reid; step-grandchildren, Cody Huffman, Ciara Huffman, Amber Walsh Crouch, Dylan Murphy, and Chris Murphy; great-grandchildren, Ryver Walsh, Nova Rae Walsh, Indie Sage, Addie Sage, Jaxon Coffey, Jerren Coffey, and Jasper Coffey; siblings, Rita Reid Robinson, Larry Reid, and Ronald Reid; as well as his ex-wife and roommate, Alice Reid Ross.

First of all the family wants to thank you all for the numerous prayers, kind words, loving thoughts, and condolences that have brought a sense of warmth and companionship to a cold and lonely situation. Sometimes in life, we take for granted the gift of companionship, so the family would like to acknowledge it and say "thank you"

Dad was born in Troutman, North Carolina in 1936. His family moved to Morganton, North Carolina when he was 6 years old.

The house they lived in was adjacent to Mimosa Hills Country Club. He and his brothers were drawn to the game of golf. He began caddying for golfers when he was big enough to carry a bag. Dad and his brothers developed a love for the game that they carried for generations.

Dad joined the United States Army in 1959. After basic training, he and my mom ended up in Fort Lewis, Washington, where he was the first player on the 6th US Army golf team. He was team mates with Lee Elder, who would later become the first African American professional golfer to play on the Masters Golf Tournament.

When he was not golfing in the military, he was an expert marksman with a pistol. Ernest Sr. was honorably discharged in 1961, and he moved to Morganton, North Carolina where he took a job at Mimosa Hills where he became the head greenskeeper. He eventually became the assistant professional there. In 1970, he became the head golf professional at Lenoir Golf Club, where he worked hard and provided a good life for his children and family.

Dad was an excellent golfer. He could hit the ball further in the 1970s than anyone and everyone. Ernest Jr. specifically recalls crowds gathering at the GGO, which is now the Wyndham Championship. He could simply hit it out of sight. It was incredible that even the tour pros couldn't hit it that far. He and his friend, Bob Floyd Sr. participated on a team where they won the U.S Club Team Championship in Pinehurst in 1975. He was a pro at Lenoir until 1983, when he moved to Deerbrook Golf Course where he was pro for several years. He then opened a driving range where he gave lessons and shared his love of the game with others.

He and his wife Alice Reid Ross grew apart and divorced. He would go on to marry Marion Reid. They lived happily for several years, eventually growing apart and going their separate ways.

He would go on to marry Dianne Smith. They lived happily until her passing in 2019. He was a security guard for Google for 12 years until finally retiring in 2020 at the age of 84. He also owned a boiled peanut truck, which served the best boiled peanuts you would ever have. He also sold cars for a while at Valley Chevrolet.

Ernest was truly an amazing man, father, husband, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He loved so many in his 88 years, and so many loved him right back. He is going to be dearly missed and cherished.

A memorial service to honor Ernest Sr.'s life will be held on Sunday, January 5, 2024 at Cedar Rock Country Club from 2pm until 4pm. Reverend Todd Braswell will officiate.

An online guestbook is available for signature at www.greer-mcelveenfuneralhome.com.

Greer-McElveen Funeral Home and Crematory is honored to serve the family of Ernest Lafayette Reid Sr.