Bobby William Stringfellow

DATELINE:  KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA

Bobby Stringfellow

Bobby William Stringfellow, 91, died May 12, 2024, at Jacob’s Creek Nursing and Rehab Center in Madison, NC, after a gradual decline in health. He was born on August 17, 1933, in Kings Mountain, NC, to the late Thomas William Stringfellow and Mae Stewart Stringfellow. He was the couple’s only child, and they spoiled him accordingly. Growing up, Bobby enjoyed riding horses, playing baseball, and expertly crafting sling shots from dogwood branches. Bobby proved to be a bright and industrious student, but he also was known to teachers for his mischievousness. He delivered newspapers on his bicycle as a youngster, and residents commented on his dependability for years. He graduated from Kings Mountain High School in 1949. He became interested in hot rod racing for a while before settling down. He married the late Sybil Blanton Stringfellow in 1957, and they had three children. Daughter Lyn Beam and her husband, Tony Beam, live in Belews Creek, NC; daughter Wendy Stringfellow lives in Walkertown, NC; and son Tommy Stringfellow, of Kings Mountain, preceded him in death. After getting married, Bobby served in the Army at Fort Benning, GA. He spent the rest of his working days at PPG Industries in Shelby, NC. While his children were young, he played for PPG’s league softball team as second baseman and served as team captain. When his father died suddenly in 1963, Bobby’s Christian faith deepened. He was a member of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Kings Mountain for more than 60 years. Bobby’s other past times included fishing at Surfside Beach, SC, and participating in various water sports while he lived at Moss Lake in Kings Mountain. He supported the Carolina Panthers and secured Permanent Seat Licenses for their expansion team. When taking friends or family members to games, he never disappointed with his ability to find free parking in downtown Charlotte. Also surviving are his grandsons Jonathan Ballinger Jr. and Blake Ballinger, both of Greensboro. Granddaddy Bob taught them songs about being in the Army, how to fish, and took them tailgating before Panthers’ games. Bobby lived in Kings Mountain all of his life. He also was preceded in death by his second wife, Lavonda Stringfellow, of Kings Mountain. Throughout his life, he showed kindness and compassion when he sensed unfairness. He helped launch an oral school for deaf children in Gastonia, NC, in the late 1960s, and he diligently sponsored children from foreign countries to help provide for their food and education

FUNERAL SERVICE: Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 2:00 PM at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church with Pastor John Yost III officiating

VISITATION: Wednesday, May 15, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM prior to the service at St. Matthew's

INTERMENT: Mountain Rest Cemetery, Kings Mountain, NC

MEMORIALS: Memorials in Bobby's memory may be made to St. Matthew's Lutheran Church at 201 N. Piedmont Ave. Kings Mountain, NC 28086

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ARRANGEMENTS:  HARRIS FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATION SERVICES, KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA