Jerry Franklin Ledford

DATELINE: KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA

Jerry Franklin Ledford

Jerry Franklin Ledford lived a modest life full of quiet accomplishments, incredible friends, and an adoring family. He was born in Oak Grove on December 9th, 1948 to Grace Howell Ledford and Frank Ledford. He grew up unpretentiously, while his mother fed them from her garden and his father “tinkered” in his shop. He grew up with two brothers: Donald Ledford, who preceded him in death, and Paul Ledford, who still resides in Oak Grove. He completed college at NC State University, where he participated in many extracurriculars, but it was in the Glee Club that he discovered a love of music that he later instilled in his girls. During his life, he was active in the community, sticking his toes in many incredible projects and helping to bring such wonderful things to Kings Mountain like the Gateway Trail, the KMHS Touchdown Club, Intellectual Salons lectured by professors from UNC-Charlotte (NOT Chapel Hill!), and helped to bring the story of Liberty Mountain to life for all of us. He sang with the Oratorio Singers of Charlotte and performed countless concerts with the Charlotte Symphony, and sang at various festivals, such as the Spoleto Music Festival in Charleston, SC. When he was younger, he and his friends even traveled around and ran long-distance races, like the Cooper River Bridge Run, and he successfully defeated cancer. He served as an accountant in Charlotte for a gentleman who brought us the Carolina Panthers, and he worked with a variety of other professional sports teams like the Oakland Raiders, Atlanta Falcons and the Charlotte Hornets. While he took great pride in these accomplishments, he didn’t boast, for the thing he was most proud of was “his three girls,” which he would have done anything for. My father met and married my mother, Sheila Ledford, over 56 years ago. They quite literally lived a life together that so many of us can only dream of, celebrating their anniversaries on the off-years (he accidentally celebrated one big anniversary a year too soon) and they traveled around the country together. They were each other’s better half, and they were inseparable. But he would talk to anyone that stood still long enough about his daughters: Emily Ledford Cloninger and Kimberly Ledford. In them, he instilled a love of music, creating two very accomplished musicians, and he encouraged them to follow their dreams against all odds. He used to say: “It’s you and me against the world, now go grab the world by the lapels and shake it.” We knew that there wasn’t anything we couldn’t do with our daddy in our corner. My father was a kind, loving, creative and dedicated man with a witty sense of humor; everyone who knew him could say they were lucky to have known him. Jerry Franklin Ledford passed away quietly and peacefully on August 8th, 2025 with his wife, daughter and granddaughter by his side. He is survived by his wonderful wife, Sheila Ledford, his daughters Emily and Kim, his brother Paul and his granddaughters, Hope and Emma. Please join our family for a receiving of friends on Thursday, August 14th, 2025 from 6:00pm-7:30pm at First Presbyterian Church in Kings Mountain. It is here where we can gather to remember and celebrate not only his impact and accomplishments, but his life.

GUEST REGISTER AVAILABLE AT WWW.HARRISFUNERALS.COM

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