Ernest Carlton Terry, 76, died on April 27, 2025 at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Durham. Terry spent his life in service to others, from his time in the U.S. Marine Corps to his work in Henderson as a local businessman and elected official.
The funeral for Terry was Wednesday, and his daughter Enesa said she and other family members are still coming to terms with her father’s unexpected passing.
Enesa offered reflections on her father’s life and told WIZS News this morning that her dad was a very loving man who loved his family, his friends and his community.
“My dad absolutely loved the city of Henderson,” she said.
Recalling conversations with her father, Enesa said he didn’t want people to forget about him. “I don’t want to die and people not remember me,” she recalled him saying to her.
At his funeral, she said she heard people call him a “trailblazer” and someone ahead of his time.
“To hear those words yesterday, it meant a lot,” she said. The City of Henderson also lowered flags in his honor, another gesture she said her father surely would have appreciated.
In business and in public, she said, he showed a dignified, professional side. Enesa’s mom, Costella, died when Enesa was 13, and she said her dad had to be both parents to their only child.
“He learned to do my hair,” she said, among other “little things that a mother is supposed to do.” It helped them form a closer relationship, she said.
“Behind the scenes, he was a kind, soft heart – he was a good man,” she said.
Terry has two brothers, Raymond and Michael. Raymond said his brother joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1967 and served four years – including a year-long tour in Vietnam. He participated and organized the Bugle Corps when he was stationed at Guam. He was awarded the Distinguished Navy Achievement Medal, among others.
After an honorable discharge he returned to Henderson and worked for a few years with the Henderson Police Department before he decided to attend mortuary college.
He worked for a couple of funeral homes after completing his education and then started E.C. Terry’s Funeral Service in 1982.
Enesa was in middle school when her dad served on the City Council.
He enjoyed explaining his role with the city to her and took her whenever he could to show her how city government works.
“He was ahead of his time,” she said. “He loved to serve on the City Council.”
Terry was the first African American to run for mayor of Henderson, but Enesa said at the time, she didn’t realize that. “He never pointed that out,” she said. Although Terry didn’t win, Enesa said it was a good race and she was proud of her dad.
“It was just amazing,” she said, “my dad was trying to run for mayor of this city.”
Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott became the first African American and the first female to be elected to the position in 2023. Elliott spoke at the funeral and in comments to WIZS News Thursday echoed the sentiments about Terry’s kindness. “…he helped many families in the transition of their loved ones and was a true asset to our community,” Elliott said.
Former Henderson Mayor and City Council member Donald C. “Clem” Seifert, Jr. remembered Terry as someone who was very easy to talk to and reasonable during one-on-one discussions. “I often found that we agreed on many more things than we disagreed on,” Seifert told WIZS News Wednesday.
It was a three-person race for the mayor of Henderson in 2003, with Terry, Jeanne Hight and Seifert vying for the seat.
“I served with Ernest on the city council for many years,” Seifert said. “We always got along, and we always were able to come to some agreement on what we thought was the best way to move forward on issues that we may have some disagreement on.
“I enjoyed working with him and I’m sorry to hear of his passing. We did run against each other for mayor my first term…but Ernest never said anything derogatory toward me,” Seifert said.
“He was a nice, decent man who didn’t always speak up, but when he did speak, you wanted to listen to what he had to say. Ernest served the city well and his community well, in my opinion, and will be missed.”
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