L. Earl Spruill, Jr.

Published 6:08 pm Friday, May 29, 2020

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SUNBURY, NC – Lindsey Earl Spruill, Jr., 91, formerly of Sunbury and more recently of the NC State Veterans Home in Salisbury, died there on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

Mr. Spruill was born in Washington County on May 3, 1929, and was the son of the late Lindsey Earl Spruill, Sr. and Emma Jones Spruill Clifton. A retired Boatswains Mate First Class with the United States Navy, his career spanned 20 years, with service on more than eight ships in the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam War.

After retiring from the Navy, he owned and operated the Pungo Clearing & Drainage Company. Since moving to Sunbury nearly 25 years ago, he was a member of Kittrell’s United Methodist Church in Gates.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sons, Lindsey Earl Spruill, III and Charlie S. Spruill; three sisters, Ruth Naylor, Mittie Clifton, and Eva Spruill; two brothers, William “Bill” Spruill and Emmett Blount; and by a son-in-law, Billy Davis.

Surviving are his wife, Hallie Turner Lewis Spruill; three daughters, Rhesa Davis of Creswell, Lisa Meiggs (Ken) of Camden, and Sharon Hinds (James) of Richmond, CA; and a son, Allen Miller of Clearlake, CA. Also surviving is Hallie’s daughter, Ellen Willard (Charles) of Mocksville; a sister, Sally Biggs of Plymouth; 16 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great-grandchildren.

Due to restrictions and conditions caused by the COVID-19 virus, a private burial will be in the Gatesville Cemetery. A memorial service with military honors is being planned and will be held at a later time. Those arrangements, when complete, will be announced by the family in both newspaper print and online.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to Kittrell’s United Methodist Church, in care of Faye Freeman, P.O. Box 51, Gates, NC 27937, or to the Gates County Rescue Squad, 016 US Hwy 158 East, Gatesville, NC 27938.

Miller Funeral Home, 304 Main Street, Gatesville, is assisting the family with arrangements and online condolences may be made by visiting www.millerfhc.com.