Michael A Staton

Michael Austin Staton passed away on April 7, 2014. Born in Greensboro, NC on July 11, 1953 to James Brooks Staton Jr. and Miriam Hancock Staton, he is survived by his loving wife of 29 years Ashley Elmore Staton, his mother Miriam and her brother Charles Edward Hancock (Dianne), his brother James Brooks Staton III (Deborah), and sister Martha Lynne Swaringen (Joe). Mike graduated from Walter Hines Page High School and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the SAE fraternity. In 1975 he graduated with a BS in Business Administration, returning to Greensboro to join Jim Staton Distributing Company, his family’s business. Mike worked for 25 years in the business, becoming President in 1993 when his father died. In 2000, he and his brother Jim sold the business to Mutual Distributing Company, where he worked for 5 years before retiring in 2005. As a leader in the beer and wine industry, he served terms as President of the NC Wine Wholesalers Association, on the board of the NC Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association, and President of the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers Association Council for Leadership Development.

Mike was an avid and accomplished golfer who enjoyed playing at the Greensboro Country Club as well as Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, NC. Some of his favorite moments in golf were caddying for his friend Henry Blue at the US Amateur Championship and attending the Masters. He had a single digit handicap and had made several holes-in-one. Mike loved sports of all kinds, but especially baseball and his beloved Boston Red Sox team, as well as basketball and his adopted Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He was a member of the Greensboro Whist Club for over 30 years, and enjoyed evenings with his friends playing gin rummy. As a member of First Presbyterian Church, he volunteered time to serve at the Men’s Shelter, and was a member and regular attendee at Greensboro Rotary Club meetings.

Mike will be missed by all of his family including his mother-in-law Billie Ward Elmore, his step mother-in-law Maxene Hubin Elmore, sisters-in-law Laurie Elmore Cain (Greg) and Lisa Elmore Gibbs (John), nephews and nieces Jennifer Staton Kreick (Kyle), Jonathan Calvin Staton, James Brooks Swaringen, Joe Richie Swaringen Jr., Nicholas Eli Cain, Emma Gregory Cain, Eleanor Ward Cain, John Lewis Gibbs Jr., Bailey Suzanne Gibbs, Annie Gray Gibbs, and his beloved bulldog Beatrice. He will also be missed by his many friends who were like an extended family.

The family will receive visitors on Thursday, April 10th from 6-8pm at Hanes Lineberry Funeral Home, 515 North Elm St., Greensboro, NC 27401. A celebration of Mike’s life will be held Friday, April 11th at 3pm in the Mullin Life Center at First Presbyterian Church and the family will visit with friends following the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church, 617 N. Elm St., Greensboro, NC 27401, the Greensboro Science Center, 4301 Lawndale Dr., Greensboro, NC 27455, or the James B. Staton Jr. Athletic/Academic Excellence Scholarship Fund, Wake Forest University, 499 Deacon Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC 27105.

On line condolences may be sent through www.haneslineberryfuneralhomes.com