CHERRYVILLE - Mr. John L. "Buck" Fraley Sr., 80, died Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2000, at his home.

Born May 4, 1920, in Gaston County, he was a son of the late Howard H. Fraley and the late Willie Mae Rhyne Fraley Isenhour, and the stepson of the late Rev. Walter E. Isenhour.

He was chairman emeritus of Carolina Freight Corp. and was a member of First United Methodist Church of Cherryville, where he served as chairman of the Administrative Board.

He graduated from Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy in 1941 and attended N.C. State University. In 1943, he graduated from Army Officers Candidate School at Grinnell College, Iowa. An Army captain during World War II, he served with the Combat Engineers.

Gardner-Webb University conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree in 1972, and in 1983, he received an honorary Doctorate in Public Service from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

From 1946 to 1949, he owned and managed Bucknit Mills in Cherryville and Maiden Knitting Mills in Maiden.

His 43-year career with Carolina Freight Carriers Corp. began in 1949. He started as a sales executive and advanced to executive vice president, vice chairman and chief executive officer and chairman of the board.

In his public life, he served on the boards of Duke Power Co., First Union Corp. and First Union National Bank, was vice chairman of the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees, a director of UNC Charlotte Foundation, and founding chairman of the UNC Charlotte Board of Visitors.

He served on the boards of trustees for Pfeiffer University and Fork Union Military Academy and as chairman of the Board of Advisors for Gardner-Webb University.
He was vice chairman of Daniel J. Stowe Botanical Gardens in Belmont and was a member of the N.C. Board of Conservation and Development and the Governor's Business Council.

He was commander of Cherryville American Legion Post 100, chairman of the Gaston County American Red Cross Board, a director of Coca-Cola Consolidated Board in Charlotte, a director of Public Service Gas Co. of Gastonia, and chairman and founder of Cablevision of Gastonia.

His honors include Distinguished Alumnus of Fork Union Military Academy in 1979, Most Outstanding Chief Executive Officer in the trucking industry by Financial World Magazine and The Wall Street Transcript for 1981-1982, a special resolution of appreciation by the mayor and City Council of Cherryville in 1981, N.C. Distinguished Citizens Award by Gov. Jim Hunt in 1983, N.C. Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Gov. Jim Martin in 1985, and the Distinguished Service Award from UNC Charlotte in 1988.
He was a member of Cherryville Masonic Lodge No. 505, North Lake County Club in Shelby and Cherryville Country Club. He was a charter member of Grandfather Golf & Country Club in Linville and Capitol City Club in Raleigh.
He established scholarship at Fork Union Military Academy, Cleveland Community College, UNC Charlotte and Hephzibah Children's Home in Macon, Ga., where he stayed for two years as a young boy.

He was a major donor of the Blair Fraley Sales Store, a memorial to his granddaughter, Elizabeth Blair Fraley, at Crossnore School for Children in Crossnore; and the John L. "Buck" Fraley Baseball Field Renovation Fund for Cherryville High School and the American Legion Post 100.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two stepbrothers, Fred E. Isenhour and Walter E. Isenhour Jr.; and a granddaughter, Elizabeth Blair Fraley.
He is survived by his wife, two sons and daughters-in-law, four grandchildren, a brother, a stepbrother, a sister, three half-sisters, and a stepsister.

Burial will be at City Memorial Cemetery.

Published online:Stamey-Cherryville Funeral Home