Rev. Dr. Joseph "Joe" Crowell McMurry, 85, of Belwood-Lawndale Road,
Lawndale, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, April 30, 2018.

Born in Cleveland County on June 5, 1932, he was a son of the late Robert
Lee McMurry and Selma Miller McMurry. Dr. McMurry was a retired United
Methodist Minister having served at Deerfield United Methodist Church in
Boone, The Banner Elk Church, The Brown Summit United Methodist Charge in
Greensboro, Boulevard United Methodist Church in Statesville, Bethpage
United Methodist Church in Kannapolis. He spent the last ten years of his
ministry as pastor of Myers Memorial United Methodist Church in Gastonia.

He retired in 1994 and returned to the Belwood Community where he attended
and taught the Young Adult Sunday School class at Kadesh United Methodist
Church, his home church in Belwood.

He was a graduate of Belwood High School in 1950, Appalachian State
University in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science in History, Duke University
Divinity School in 1970 with a Master of Divinity and received a Honorary
Doctorate of Divinity from Pfeiffer College in May 1991. He was a veteran
of the Korean War, serving four years in the US Air Force. He was a
sixty-year member of the Fallston Masonic Lodge 356.

In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by two brothers, Jack K.
McMurry and Bob McMurry and wife Margaret, and sister, Bernice McMurry Hoyle
and husband Foy.

He is survived by his loving wife of fifty-nine years Beverly Christy
McMurry; two sons, Steve McMurry and wife Jerrianne Queen of Lawndale and
Dale Houston and wife Crystal of Kannapolis; two daughters, Christy Devine
and husband David of Concord and Leanne Hall and husband Tim of Statesville;
brother, Fitzhugh McMurry, Sr. and wife Judy of Lawndale; six grandchildren,
Carrie Beth Summers and husband Will, Heath Houston, Andrew Hall and wife
Carrilea, Katy Curie and husband Tim, Blake Houston, and Hannah Houston; two
great grandchildren, William Monroe Curie and Adeline Grace Summers; and a
host of nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.

The family will receive friends immediately following the burial in the
church fellowship hall.

The funeral service will be held at 3:00 PM Thursday at Kadesh United
Methodist Church with the Rev. Brian Elwell and Rev. Steve Haines
officiating. Dr. McMurry will lie in state at the church thirty-minutes
before the service.

The burial will follow the service in the church cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Kadesh United Methodist Church, 5500 Fallston Road,
Lawndale, NC 28090 or to Hospice Cleveland County, 951 Wendover Heights
Drive, Shelby, NC 28150.

Condolences may be made online at www.stameytysingerfuneralhome.com.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Stamey-Tysinger Funeral Home & Cremation
Center, Inc., Fallston.