Dr. William Edward Cheek Sr.

Dr. William Edward Cheek Sr., 87, passed away, Tuesday, January 23, 2018 after an acute illness and a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was born October 3, 1930 in Yadkin County (Cycle NC) to the late Ferdinand Lindley Cheek and Mattie Brown Cheek. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister Ruth Garner and brothers Frank Cheek and Herbert Cheek. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Karol Cross Cheek; and children Stephen Christopher Cheek (Cindy), Carla Cheek Draughn (Dwight), William Edward Cheek Jr. (Michelle), and Marcus Adrian Cheek (Susan); children by marriage: Jonathan K. Grooms (Lisa), and Jacqueline G. Brunton;  grandchildren Jessica Cheek-Shafroth (Tim), Jenna Cheek Cornett (Kevin), Sarah Cheek Marshall (Landon), Jonah Cheek, Mikala Cheek, Elijah Cheek, Connor McLeod, Marc Brunton, Georgia Brunton, and Erin Brunton; great grandchildren Rylan, Hudson, and Jett Marshall, Lily and Jackson Cornett, and Tyler and Brooklyn Cheek Shafroth. William graduated from West Yadkin High School, and earned B.S. and MA degrees in the biological and chemistry sciences at Appalachian State University, an MS degree in Chemistry at Peabody College (Vanderbilt) and a doctorate in chemistry education at Nova University. He participated and earned credits in numerous N.S.F. summer institutes held in major college and universities in the U.S. During the Korean conflict, he served in the U.S. Army Signal Corp. as an instructor in cryptography. Mr. Cheek was an inspiring and talented teacher of chemistry. He began his career at West Yadkin H.S., then at East Mecklenburg H.S. in Charlotte, UNC-Charlotte for several years and enjoyed at long tenure at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte. He was employed part-time at Forshaw Chemical Company as a consultant and authored several published works which were used in the teaching of chemistry. William had a love of music starting in childhood, singing with his family. He loved to entertain and displayed great talent for composing and singing country music and playing several instruments (guitar, banjo, mandolin, piano). Several recordings of his songs were produced with the Arthur Smith Music group and he performed on one of the Arthur Smith TV Shows. He was a physical fitness enthusiast and liked baseball, jogging, weight training, and hiking in the mountains. A funeral service will be conducted Monday, January 29, 2018, at 11:00 AM in the Gentry Family Chapel in Jonesville. Burial will follow in Swan Creek Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Sunday, January 28, 2018 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Gentry Family Funeral Service in Jonesville. The family would like to thank the compassionate and loving staff of Genesis Health Care-Alleghany and the exemplary care given to William by the physicians, respiratory therapists, and nursing staff at Alleghany Memorial Hospital. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, 4600 Park Rd #250, Charlotte, NC, 28209 or the charity of the donor’s choice. Online condolences may be made to www.gentryfuneralservice.com. Gentry Family Funeral Service of Jonesville is serving the Cheek family.