Clarence James Inman

August 22, 1935 ~ September 3, 2017 (age 82)

Clarence James Inman, age 82, of Old Fort, North Carolina passed away Sunday, September 3, 2017. He was born in Buncombe County to the late Byrd and Katie Kelly Inman of Black Mountain, North Carolina on August 22, 1935.

Clarence has been a resident of Old Fort for the last twenty two years. He retired from Camp Rockmont after fifty years of service (1959-2009). He was a veteran of the United States Marines Corps.

He is survived by his wife of sixty years, Norma Robinson; six children, Randy Inman of the home, Gary Inman of Swannanoa, Ricky, Roger, Cherry Brendle and Debra Smith of Old Fort; a granddaughter McKenize Inman of the home; three sisters, Betty Thomas, Mary Robinson of Old Fort and Maggie Robinson of Black Mountain. Also surviving Clarence are seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Virtually every individual who has been a Rockmont camper or staffer has a visual of Clarence etched in their memory. There have not been many days during Clarence’s 50 years as Grounds Manager when one could have toured Rockmont and not seen Clarence on a tractor, with a shovel or rake in hand, on a ladder applying a fresh coat of paint, mulching gardens, etc. Being the head groundskeeper for a 600 acre facility with a reputation of being among the most beautiful camps in the country is a career one can be proud of.

Clarence was a kind and gentle soul and will be missed! Two of his boys, Rick and Gary, continue his legacy as the Rockmont groundskeepers. More reason for Clarence to be proud.

James Alan Jensen

Fernvale, TN

For 56 years, Alan Jensen brought life, laughter and comfort into every room

and every relationship that he entered.

He was funny. He was strong. And, he was competitive. He had a rancher’s hands and a servant’s heart. In short, he was someone you could count on, even when it was inconvenient. To the hundreds of lives he touched, Alan was a model of common sense wisdom and uncommon commitment to his faith, his family, and his many friends.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Alan was introduced to Middle Tennessee

via the childhood summers he spent working on his grandfather’s farm in Fernvale.

He loved riding and working the land — and after graduating from North Georgia College, he moved to Nashville, where he met and married Kim Kibble while they both attended Belmont Church.

In 1986, Alan founded HomeLift, a pioneer in elevator and accessibility solutions. During his 30-year tenure as President, HomeLift expanded to four states and helped to create a national brand of accessibility products called, Symmetry Solutions.

In addition, Alan was a tireless devotee to numerous local and national boards, including: Adaptive Equipment Manufacturers Association; Christian Leadership Concepts; Fellowship of Christian Athletes; National Association of Elevator Contractors; Symmetry Elevating Solutions; Tucker’s House; and YoungLife of Nashville.

Even more notably, Alan and Kim built their beloved Triple Creek Ranch in

Fernvale into a trail riding and training facility that has been shared for decades with local Boy Scouts, military veterans, young people, and students from Christ Presbyterian Academy.

That’s the kind of man Alan Jensen was. He gave everything he had to everyone in his path. He was dearly loved and he will be profoundly missed.

Today, Alan is survived by his wife of 28 years, Kim, and their three devoted

children, Callie (Jacob) Krider, Cody (Caitlyn) Jensen, and Adam Jensen. His mother, Betty B. Jensen, and his sister Amy J. (Jeff) Stadler, and their four children, Andrew, Nicolas, Hannah and Joshua. He is also survived by his aunts and uncles, Bill (Melba) Blevins, Lettie Brown and Rudy Brown, and numerous beloved cousins.

Alan was preceded in death by his father, Dr. Peter Allen Jensen Jr., paternal grandparents Peter Allen and Gladys Jensen, and maternal grandparents, Jim and Pat Blevins.

With family at his side, Alan was laid to rest at 12:00 noon on Sunday, August 27 in Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, please visit www.christianleadershipconcepts.org or www.tuckershouse.org and contribute generously.

Harrison Stokes Smith, 22, of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, passed away on July 15, 2017. He was born in Dallas on February 23, 1995, and moved to Signal Mountain at the age of eleven.

While in Dallas, Harrison was a member of Boy Scout Troop 82, Highland Park United Methodist Church and a member of the Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas.

He graduated from Signal Mountain High School in 2013 where he was awarded the IB Learner Award, was a talented percussion drummer in the Signal Mountain Marching Band, varsity tennis team member, and member of Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church.

Harrison’s Texas roots lured him to Texas Christian University in the fall of 2013 where he was honored to be chosen as an Assistant to the Chancellor and also loved giving tours of the TCU campus as a member of the TCU Student Foundation. He was elected to the Standard’s Board of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, was a TCU club tennis team member, and a staunch Horned Frog sports fan.

He spent many beloved summers at Camp Rockmont for Boys in Black Mountain, North Carolina. There he was recognized for his leadership, service, and fortitude with the highest ranking given to campers and returned there to work as a counselor and instructor of many skills, including paddle boarding, becoming well known for his perfect headstand on the board.

Harrison was an intern working as a data analyst with the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce in membership services. He was passionate about TCU and Fort Worth, and he planned to graduate in December with a degree in Economics.

Harrison had a gentle spirit and was kind and generous to all. He was an instant source of joy when he entered a room and had a genuine interest in everyone. He was a doting, protective, and devoted big brother and faithful friend.

He is survived by his parents, Harry Stokes Smith, Jr. and Kimberly Phillips Smith, his sister and biggest fan, Frances Ann Smith, of Signal Mountain; his grandparents, Stokes and Jane Smith of West Point, MS, Harvey and Christy Phillips of Dallas, aunt and uncle, Mike and Beth Mikeska, cousins Jack and Anna Mikeska of Dallas, uncles, Dan Phillips of Dallas, and Kurt Phillips of Van Nuys, CA.

A celebration of Harrison’s life was held at TCU on Tuesday, July 18. A memorial service will be held on July 22 at 10:00 am at Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church, 612 James Blvd, Signal Mtn, TN.

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Rockmont Campers and Staff from 1958-1960 might remember Bob Fillpot as Chief Laughing Beaver (seen above in 1961 & 2015). Bob was an outstanding counselor along with his brother Dave..aka…Chief Shure Shot. Many will remember Bob’s sons, Davin “(Texas Turtle) & Dirk (Texas Armadillo), who both attended from early 80’s to early 90’s as campers and staff. Bob remained well connected to Rockmont over the years, and even spent the last couple of months of his life at Rockmont. Bob will be missed, but his legacy will remain indefinitely! His obituary is below:

Bobby (Bob) Gene Fillpot

Bob Fillpot, 74, of Todd, North Carolina, passed away on March 11, 2017, surrounded by his family.

Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. on March 25, 2017, at the First United Methodist Church in Childress, Texas.

Bob was born in Hollis, Oklahoma, on February 26, 1943, to Raymond “Buster” Fillpot and Lula Amo (Smith) Fillpot. He moved to Childress in 1957 and graduated from Childress High School in 1961, serving as his class president.>

He married his high school sweetheart, Donna Gail (Cole) Fillpot on November 25, 1965, in Childress.

He earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Texas Tech University in 1967 and his Master of Design Studies degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Design in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1997. Bob joined the Lloyd Morgan and Jones architecture firm in Houston and served as Senior Partner of the Lloyd Jones Fillpot and Associates architecture firm from 1983 to 1996. Bob’s remarkable achievements in architecture were honored with numerous awards and recognitions. In addition to the more than 30 years he spent as a practicing architect, Bob also served as the Dean of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma from 1998 to 2009. He also taught architectural design from 2009 to 2012.

His architectural work earned numerous design awards given by professional organizations in Texas, Louisiana and Florida recognizing his achievements in architecture, interior architecture, lighting application, and contribution to the science of understanding tall building design. He was elected a member of the prestigious American Institute of Architects College of Fellows. Bob also received a Citation of Recognition from the Texas Society of Architects and the Texas Tech Distinguished Alumnus in Architecture Award.

Bob was the Principal-in-Charge of the 50-story Chevron Building in downtown Houston, developing the building’s design that consistently has rated among Houstonians’ favorite downtown buildings since its construction in 1983. He also provided master planning and design for Allen Center, which included 2.7 million square feet of office space, a luxury hotel, retail space and parking. He also provided master planning of the Orlando (Florida) Centroplex and designed The Orlando Arena. He provided master planning for the Greenway Plaza project in Houston, which consisted of 11 office buildings, a multi-purpose arena for the City of Houston, two condominiums, a hotel restaurants and a health club. Bob served as the Principal-in-Charge of the American General Tower project, providing full services for the building, public spaces of the building, the interiors and total architectural and interior services for a health club. Bob also designed Sewell Hall at the Rice University campus in Houston. He also was the Principal-in-Charge of the Calcasieu Marine National Bank in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Bob served as President of the Saddle Tramps, a student booster organization that supports men’s athletics at Texas Tech and was President of Texas Tech’s Student Government Association. He also was active in the Texas Tech Ex-Students’ Association in Houston for many years.

Bob was loved by many for his incredible heart, compassion, wisdom, sincerity and amazing sense of humor. He loved to laugh, spend time with family and friends, and root on the Texas Tech sports teams.

He was preceded in death by his parents.>

Bob is survived by his wife, Donna of Todd, North Carolina; two sons, Davin Fillpot and wife, Camie, of Austin, and Dirk Fillpot and wife, Erika, of Manassas, Virginia; four grandchildren, Mia and Charlie of Austin, and Cole and Riley Ann of Manassas; brother, David Fillpot and wife, Judy, of Asheville, North Carolina; one niece, Elise Fillpot of Iowa City, Iowa; and two nephews, Ray Fillpot of Asheville and Chris Gustin of Fredericksburg.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to the Margie Firenza Scholarship Endowment for full-time students enrolled in the professional architecture degree program at Texas Tech University, and to provide scholarships allowing economically disadvantaged children to attend Camp Rockmont in Black Mountain, North Carolina, through the Camp Diversity Foundation, 8 White Palmer Ct., Asheville, North Carolina 28715.

On Sunday, June 14….Rockmont legend Eddie Wright passed away. Eddie was preparing to make his way up to Rockmont…something he has done every summer for the past 25 years. Eddie was a camper back in the 60’s before coming on staff for the first time in 1974. During his long career as a firefighter and beach lifeguard, he took his summers off to help with camp raft and ski trips. If imitation is the best form of flattery, then Eddie was an extremely loved individual. Eddie imitations and stories will continue for a long long time. Below is a copy of his obituary. I will follow later with a slideshow tribute.

Edwin Edsel Wright, Jr. (Eddie) passed away on 14 June 2015. He was 65 years old. He grew up in Tabor City, graduating Tabor City High School in 1968. He attended N.C. State University where he received his Bachelor’s degree in political science in 1973. While at State, Eddie played on the freshman basketball team and then spent the next four years as manager for the varsity. He spent his career as a firefighter for the city of Pompano Beach, Florida. An avid swimmer, Eddie spent many days lifeguarding on the shores of Pompano, Boca Raton, and Deerfield beaches in South Florida. Camp Rockmont, in Black Mountain N.C. Was his favorite summer destination for most of his life. He enjoyed working with the white water rafting program most of all. Eddie was preceded in death by his father, Edwin Edsel Wright Sr. (Ed), and a sister Ann Elizabeth Wright. Left to cherish his memory is his mother, Sarah Lewis Wright of Tabor City; two sisters, Cathy Wright Jones and husband Bobby and Jane Wright Harrelson, of Tabor City, one brother Lewis Wright of Lenoir NC, niece Abbey Jones Townsend and husband Nick of Morrisville NC, niece Colby Wright Hall and husband Jacob of Fredericksburg VA, nephew Samuel Canon Wright and wife Alexis of Pensacola FL, nephew John Gladstone Jones IV from Raleigh NC. He was looking forward to meeting the newest member of his family, seven month old Hadley Catherine Townsend, daughter of Nick and Abbey. Eddie enjoyed his many extended family members and friends from near and far, as family and friends were his greatest treasures. A Celebration of Life service will be held at the Tabor City Baptist Church, 104 Live Oak Street in Tabor City NC on Saturday 27 June at 11:00 AM with visitation following. Upon conclusion, out of town guests are invited to join the family for a meal at Adams Seafood Restaurant at 211 N US 701 bypass in Tabor City.

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