John Patterson Loy, Jr.

John Patterson Loy, Jr., son of the late John P. Loy, Sr. and Carrie Loy, died peacefully in his home on September 12, 2020.  He is now even more at peace in his Eternal home.

John was born and raised in the Mt. Hermon Community of Alamance County, NC. and lived there all of his life other than his time in military service.  He was a lifetime member of Mt. Hermon United Methodist Church.

After graduating from Alexander Wilson in 1939, he worked briefly in his father’s furniture shop before joining Fairchild Aircraft Company in Burlington.   At Fairchild he helped produce AT-21 bomber aircraft to train bomber crews for World War II.   John, himself, went on to serve in WW II as a top turret gunner and flight engineer on a B-17 bomber for 19 missions before being shot down and captured outside of Berlin, Germany.  (See recent news story) https://greensboro.com/life/community_news/snow-camp-veteran-recalls-how-he-survived-being-a-pow/article_aa8c23a2-18a7-58e3-9155-e9094f78a8c1.html

After being liberated from prison camp, John returned home and worked as an auto mechanic until he was hired at Western Electric where he worked for over 30 years.

John was not a man with many hobbies, but he did enjoy playing cards, spending time with family and friends, watching WW II documentaries, eating chocolate ice cream, and racking up thousands of miles on his Country Clipper and John Deere riding mowers.

John married the love of his life, Nellie Bowman Loy, in 1942.  She died in 2003.

He is survived by his sister: Judy Spoon of Snow Camp, NC, two sons:  Johnny Loy (Etta) of Greensboro, NC, and Barry (Donna) Loy of the Mt. Hermon Community and Essex, MA, his six grandchildren:  Jeffrey, Ginger, Matthew, Sarah, Elizabeth and Andrew, his three great-grandchildren: Mark, Maelyn, and Rosie.  He was preceded in death by his parents and four siblings: Allene Doggett, Estelle Cox, William Loy, and Ruth Bivins.

A graveside service celebrating John’s life will be held at 11:00 am on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at Mt. Hermon United Methodist Church Cemetery in Graham, NC. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, please wear your mask, observe social distancing protocol and bring a lawn chair if you wish.

Mr. Loy will be available to be viewed on Monday, September 14, 2020 from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Rich & Thompson Funeral and Cremation Service in Graham.  Please wear your mask and observe social distancing during your visit.  The family will not be available for greeting due to the Covid Pandemic.

 In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to AuthoraCare Collective (2500 Summit Ave Greensboro, NC 27405 or www.authoracare.org) or Mt. Hermon Memorial Association (C/O Sara Phillips, 3908 Mt. Hermon Church Road, Graham, NC 27253)

The family is deeply grateful for the support of family, friends and for the hospice care provided by nurses and staff at AuthoraCare during dad’s life, especially in recent months.

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