TREADWAY HONORED — Mack Treadway (above left) was honored with an 80th birthday reception and plaque by Alexander Funeral Service staff June 26. Tanner Mundy is shown presenting the plaque.

Treadway, 80, has over six decades in funeral experience

By MICAH HENRY

Mack Treadway, of the Little River Community, has been helping local families in times of grief for over 60 years. However, he’s not ready to retire just yet.

Working as funeral director and in various related positions, Mack has been not only a familar face to those who have lost loved ones, but he has served in elected positions as well.

Mack grew up along the Alexander-Wilkes County line. Starting with a position at Adams Funeral Home in 1947, Mack has been working in the field ever since.

“I asked them for a job, and they gave it to me. It’s what I wanted to do,” Mack replied, when asked why he chose to work in the funeral business.

Shortly after beginning at Adams, Mack served in the Army in Korea for ten months, then returned home.

While in the Army, Mack drove an ambulance as a medic, according to his son, Dr. David Treadway, 41, and daughter, Nancy Treadway Fox, 40. Both were small children when their mother, Sandra, passed away about 1975.

“He raised us as a single parent,” David explained. “He’s the best daddy in the world to us.”

“He’s just always been there for us,” Nancy related.

Mack’s family obligations did not preclude a life of service to the community. He was elected to the office of Alexander County Coroner and served 1962 to 1970. Then he was elected to serve as County Commissioner and was in office 1972 to 1980. In addition, he served two terms on the Alexander Hospital Board of Directors and two terms on the Alexander Department of Social Services Board. Mack was even selected as Grand Marshal for the Alexander County Christmas Parade in the year 2000.

After about fifty years with Adams Funeral Home, Mack was hired by Alexander Funeral Service, a new funeral home, in 1997. He continues to work there today.

During his six decades in the field, Mack has seen several changes in the way the deceased are cared for when they have passed away. For instance, 50 to 60 years ago or earlier, bodies were taken to the family’s home instead of to the funeral home, as is the custom today. Also in the past, one or more family members would “sit up with the dead,” which would probably seem very macabre to some bereaved persons today.

Mack has become skilled in preparing the deceased for viewing, his co-workers said, as well as other areas of the business.

“I’ve been in the funeral business eleven years and I’ve never seen anyone do the quality of cosmetic work that he does,” said Gena Carver, Office Manager of Alexander Funeral Service.

“Mack is the number one funeral director in the county,” stated Roger Brown, member of the business’ board of directors.

“He’s a great and honest person to work with,” said young Tanner Mundy.

In celebration of Mack’s 80th birthday on June 26, the staff of Alexander Funeral Service held a surprise party with Mack’s family and friends as well.

An avid golfer as a young man, Mack quit the pastime for several years to devote more time to his family after Sandra died. “He gave up golfing when we were little to take care of us,” Nancy said. “He didn’t start up again until we were able to take care of ourselves.”

Now that his children are grown, he and fellow golf partners Kenneth Patterson, Bill Earp, Jim Davis, Richard Chapman, and Dale Yount all play regularly at Brushy Mountain Golf Course, sometimes two or three times a week.

“We don’t play so good, but we have good fellowship,” said Patterson.

Active in First Baptist Church of Taylorsville, Mack has served as deacon there for some time. David went on to become a pastor. He leads Sandy Ridge Baptist Church in Hickory, where he and his wife, Melissa, have two children: Landon, 15 and Lyndsey, 18. Nancy and her husband, Todd Fox, reside in the Little River Community and have two sons: Cody, 19, and Daniel, 16.