Tag Archive for: #clayfaulkner

Clay Faulkner

Remembering Clay Faulkner: Ballgames Saturday At Aycock Rec Complex

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Clay Faulkner loved baseball. He played in high school and on several travel teams, and this Saturday, friends and family will take to the fields at Aycock Recreation Complex to remember the young man with the infectious smile who touched so many lives.

Susan Patterson, Clay’s mother, said it was actually one of her son’s friends who first had the idea of playing a baseball game in memory of Clay.

“It started out to be just a little baseball game,” Patterson told John C. Rose on Town Talk Wednesday. “We ended up with six teams.” She said she’s expecting about 70 players for Saturday’s games.

“I’m blown away by that number,” she said, adding that the interest in participating has been a humbling experience.

Anyone who wants to come to watch the games on Saturday, which are scheduled to begin around 9:30 a.m., will see Clay’s friends round the bases where Clay spent a lot of time in the years that he played ball. Patterson said she just hopes everybody has a good time, in memory of Clay.

His friends, she said, are the reason she and other family members “are still ok.” They showed up for us, she said, after Clay’s death, and she said she hopes that folks do the same on Saturday – just show up at Aycock Rec Complex and enjoy some baseball. “I don’t think I could ever give back what they have given us,” she added. Stories that Clay’s friends have shared with her are precious gifts, she said.

Clay, who died just more than a year ago, really didn’t like being the center of attention, his mother said, adding that he was more interested in doing for others. “He loved everybody and he loved his sport,” she said. He was good at it and he really applied himself to being the best he could be.

He also was a valuable team member at the local Chick-fil-a, and customers remember a polite young man with that incredible smile.
That smile he flashed sometimes meant he’d been up to something, Patterson said.

His smile sometimes got him into trouble, and a lot of times it got him out of trouble. “He was always up to some mischief,” she said.
Patterson said the games Saturday will be one more way for friends and family to remember her son. “I’ve heard several of his friends say that they are very excited to be a part of this,” she said.

“One of the things since he’s been gone that I’ve been afraid of is that people will forget,” Patterson acknowledged. “Just knowing that people haven’t forgotten – knowing that people are still treasuring the memories they have of him – is so special.”

Players should arrive at 9 a.m. at Aycock Recreation Complex. Games will start about 9:30 a.m.

TownTalk Audio. Click Play.

 

Chick-fil-A Henderson

Chick-fil-A of Henderson to Close Part of the Day to Honor Clay Faulkner

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100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

-Information courtesy Chick-fil-A of Henderson

Chick-fil-A of Henderson has announced that it will close from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. today (Aug. 6) to celebrate the life of team member Clay Faulkner, who passed away unexpectedly Sunday evening.

“Clay has been a part of the Chick-fil-A family for two years, but it’s hard to remember our team without him,” said Operator Joshua Towne. “He meant so much to our Chick-fil-A family, and I want each of our team members to have the opportunity to honor his memory and extend their sympathy to his family by attending his funeral.”

Chick-fil-A of Henderson will resume normal operating hours at 2 p.m., following the celebration of life for Faulkner.

To hear yesterday’s WIZS Town Talk episode in memory of Faulkner, click here.

Clay Faulkner

Town Talk 08/05/20: In Memory of Clay Faulkner

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Joe Sharrow, Vance County High School Athletic Director, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Sharrow discussed the tragic death of 2019 Vance County High School graduate and baseball player Clay Faulkner last weekend at Kerr Lake.

“This is one of those tough times that when you sign up to be in education you don’t think about having to deal with but, unfortunately, it’s part of the job,” Sharrow said. “We’ve had tragedy come through this community before, but quite frankly, this one is the hardest of my career.”

Sharrow said he shared a friendship with Faulkner, who loved baseball and never met a stranger. “Clay and I had a close relationship, but he had a close relationship with almost every person in the VCHS building. That’s just the kind of person he was. I can’t thank him and his family enough for allowing me to be a part of his life. I feel like I’m a better man for having known him.”

In addition to baseball, Sharrow said Faulkner “had an infectious personality and was the kind of kid that always made you smile.”

Faulkner was also unfailingly polite, according to Sharrow, and stood out for his manners and “yes sirs and yes ma’ams.”

Those skills served him well in his role as a server at Chick-fil-A of Henderson. His co-workers remembered him this week, among other ways, with social media tributes, signs, and a memorial in front of the restaurant.

In addition, Chick-fil-A of Henderson has announced that it will close Thursday, August 6, 2020, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. to celebrate the life of Faulkner.

“Clay has been a part of the Chick-fil-A family for two years, but it’s hard to remember our team without him,” said Chick-fil-A Operator Joshua Towne. “He meant so much to our Chick-fil-A family, and I want each of our team members to have the opportunity to honor his memory and extend their sympathy to his family by attending his funeral.”

Chick-fil-A of Henderson will resume normal operating hours at 2 p.m. on Thursday, following the celebration of life for Faulkner.

While silver linings are hard to come by in this situation, Sharrow said Faulkner’s life has certainly made an impact on others. “The only positive thing that can come out of this is that we can honor his life, remember Clay for the wonderful person he was and try to live better lives ourselves.”

To hear the interview with Sharrow and WIZS staff in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.