Rev. Hal sherrill Vannoy, 83, of Lenoir, N.C., passed away on Monday, November 3, 2014, at the Kirkwood Hospice House from complications of esophageal cancer. Born December 3, 1930 in Boone, N.C., Rev. Vannoy was the son of the late Arthur Elbert Vannoy and Annie Sherrill Vannoy.

He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Frances Elizabeth Gillett Vannoy, with whom he shared more than 59 years of marriage.

A lifelong minister of the Advent Christian (AC) faith, Rev. Vannoy served as pastor to the congregations of Beaver Creek AC Church in Ferguson, N.C.; Fellowship AC Church in Bethlehem, N.C.; Dulins Grove AC Church in Charlotte, N.C.; and Tabernacle AC Church in Lenoir, N.C. He also served 12 years as Regional Superintendent for the Appalachian Region of the Advent Christian General Conference. He was active in denominational affairs throughout his career, serving as president of the Piedmont Conference and the Appalachian Region as well as many other positions in conference, regional and national leadership. While in Lenoir, he was active in the Kiwanis Club, Lenoir Ministerial Association and other organizations.

Rev. Vannoy was a proud 1949 graduate of Appalachian High School in Boone. Included among the highlights of his later life were the fond remembrances of the many reunions with his fellow 49ers. Upon graduation, Rev. Vannoy attended Appalachian State Teachers College where he pursued a degree in music education. After three years studying music, he felt the call to ministry and transferred to the New England School of Theology (NEST) in Brookline, Massachusetts. While attending NEST, he remained active in music through the Maranatha Quartet, traveling with the quartet in the summers of 1952 and 1953 from New England to Florida to California and all points in between. Rev. Vannoy met his future wife, Frances, a nurse at New England Baptist Hospital in Boston, while he was a student at NEST. After his graduation in 1954, Rev. and Mrs. Vannoy moved to North Carolina to begin their years of ministry together.

Upon retirement, Rev. Vannoy remained very active in church and denominational affairs. He was also active in the community and particularly enjoyed his time in the aerobics classes at QUEST in Lenoir. In his later years, his time at QUEST was among the highlights of each day.

Rev. Vannoy is survived by his sons, Ronald George Vannoy of Lenoir, and David Arthur Vannoy, wife, Shannon and daughter, Erin of Hickory. Also surviving are foster children Tammy Chisholm of Bluffton, S.C., and Charlotte Herman of Lexington, N.C., and Caldwell Friend Brandy Angley of Lenoir.

The family respectfully requests that memorials and gifts be given to the General Fund at Tabernacle Advent Christian Church, PO Box 596, Lenoir, NC 28645.