Obituary of Howard Alan Wilcox

Howard Alan Wilcox, 77, passed away at his home in Cary, NC on Friday, March 15, 2019.  He is survived by his wife, Kay Taylor Wilcox; son Alan Wilcox of Dunedin, FL; daughter Leigh Wilcox Kinnell of Cary, NC; grandchildren Taylor and Quentin and Lizzie-Kay Kinnell of Cary, NC; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Howard was born in Penn Yan, NY on June 5, 1941, the fourth of six children to Harold L. Wilcox and Marian E. (Smith) Wilcox.  He graduated from Dundee Central School in 1959 and enrolled at Nicholls State College in Thibodaux, LA.  After one year, he transferred to the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education in 1963.  He was commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy and served as an Early Warning Air Traffic Officer on E-1 Tracer aircraft in VAW-12, stationed in Norfolk, VA and deploying twice to the Mediterranean aboard USS SARATOGA (CV-60) and once to the Caribbean aboard USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65).

While stationed in Norfolk, he met Charity Kay Taylor and they were married in Fayetteville, NC on December 17, 1966.  Following his honorable discharge from the Navy, they moved to Charlotte, NC where Howard was a salesman with Procter & Gamble before beginning his career in the broadcasting business as a salesman for WBTV.  While in Charlotte, their children Alan (1969) and Leigh (1971) were born.  In 1971, he was hired as the general manager of WFAI-AM in Fayetteville, NC.  In 1975, he was named as the general manager of WDNC-AM and WDCG-FM (G105) in Durham, NC.  In 1984, the family moved to Goldsboro, NC where Howard began a partnership with George Beasley as owners of several radio stations, including WGMB-FM (Rock 98) in Georgetown, SC and WVVY-FM (WAVY FM) in New Bern, NC.

Howard and Kay relocated to Punta Gorda, FL in 1993 where Howard received his real estate license.  In 2008, they retired back to North Carolina.  Howard loved to play golf, was a longtime fan of Duke Blue Devils football and basketball, enjoyed listening to talk radio and watching many sports on TV.  He also loved attending his grandkids’ activities such as dance, baseball, basketball, concerts, and plays.

A memorial service was held at 5 PM on Saturday, March 23, 2019 at Southbridge Fellowship, Raleigh. 

In lieu of flowers or other gifts, the family requests donations to be made in Howard’s name with the following charities:

Southbridge Fellowship Men's Ministry, www.sfchurch.com, The Durham Rescue Mission, PO Box 11858, Durham, NC 27703, www.durhamrescuemission.org, The V Foundation for Cancer Research, 14600 Weston Parkway, Cary, NC 27513, www.jimmyv.org

The Wilcox family is under the care of Walker's Funeral Home of Chapel Hill.  Please express your online condolences by using the tab below.