Graham Gordon Lacy Jr.

The gentle spirit of Graham Gordon Lacy, Jr., known as “Scott” to friends and “Hero” to his wife, slipped away peacefully on December 14, 2024. Born March 9, 1939 in Cincinnati, OH, Scott grew up in Washington D.C. He attended Woodrow Wilson High School, graduating in 1957 as outstanding student athlete, president of his class, and “Mr. Personality Plus”. He was awarded a football scholarship to Davidson College where he was Chairman of the Honor Court, a Major in R.O.T.C., and a member of the Southern Conference All Academic Football team. He went on to get a law degree from Duke University in 1964.

Scott met his future wife, Dana Borden of Goldsboro NC, on a blind date five days before leaving for Viet Nam, serving as a special agent in the U.S. Army counter-intelligence corps while writing Dana almost every day. On return, Scott worked for the IRS by day and earned an accounting degree from Benjamin Franklin University at night. He and Dana were married in 1967, settling in Washington where Scott was a tax specialist for Coopers & Lybrand.

In 1972, Dana and Scott moved to Greensboro, and Scott served as tax director and in-house counsel for Texfi Industries. After an urban childhood, he realized his dream of living in the country when he and Dana purchased Justamere Farm north of town. When the textile industry began its exodus from Greensboro, he and Dana opted to start their own business out of the barn, rather than moving. In 1979, they launched the Cabbage Patch Ltd., a gift wrap business of Dana’s whimsical designs. The name was later bought by a well-known doll company, prompting them to rename their business WhimZDoodle Limited, which they continued to run until 2008.

When not co-running the business, he could be seen most weekends doing battle with the briars and vines or mowing on his ancient 1939 Ferguson tractor armed with a frontend loader and a bushhog. He was a dedicated steward of the property and committed to leaving the land in better shape than he found it. In later years, he managed this work with the help of his close friend Mr. James Weatherford.

A self-professed introvert and avid learner, Scott preferred flannel and books to suits and soirees. Still, he was dashingly handsome in a coat and tie and always made his dance partners appear graceful as he twirled them around the dance floor. He and Dana had 57 loving years of marriage, enjoying two precious daughters, friends and family, travel, and the many lovable mutts that appeared at their backdoor and never left.

Scott is preceded in death by his parents, The Reverend Dr. Graham Gordon Lacy and Julia Adams Lacy. He is survived by Dana, his sister and her husband, The Reverends Margaret and Richard Dodds of Penney Farms, FL, his daughter, Borden Lacy (Ben Spiller), of Nashville, TN, his daughter Sallie Lacy (Tim Hoefinghoff) of Kuesnacht, Switzerland, his beloved grandchildren Isaac and Elliott Spiller, Ellison and Henry Hoefinghoff, and a plethora of nieces and nephews. The family wishes to acknowledge, with deep appreciation, Ms. Vicky Cuthrell and Mrs. Mercedes Hernandez for making it possible for Scott to live his final days on the beautiful farm that he and Dana called home for 51 years. A private graveside service for the family will take place in Goldsboro.

Scott was deeply saddened about the victims of Hurricane Helene. He would have been honored by donations to: The Emergency and Disaster Response Fund at the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (www.cfwnc.org).