Donald “Don” Clyde Yount went to meet his Lord peacefully in his sleep early in the morning of July 26, 2020 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
He was born in Catawba County on June 6, 1933, as the 12th and next-to-youngest child of Vance Edgar and Lottie Shook Yount. After graduating from Newton Conover High School, Don moved to Baltimore, MD where he worked at the Mount Clare facility of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. During the Korean War, he served in the United States Army in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC. He returned to Catawba County in 1956, where he enrolled in Lenoir Rhyne College, graduating with a BA in Business Administration in 1959. The same year he married his first love, Sue Carter, of Rockingham County, and the two of them enjoyed a blessed marriage for 28 years until Sue’s passing in 1987 from heart disease. He remained loyal and devoted to her throughout her lifetime of illness.
Professionally, Don served in a number of roles spanning nearly 50 years, culminating to his position as Chief Financial Officer at Pine State Creamery Company of Raleigh. He held this position from 1969 until shortly after Sue’s death, when he semi-retired and moved to Guilford County. There he began teaching accounting and finance at Guilford Tech (retired 2003). In addition to his degree from Lenoir Rhyne, he held a master’s degree in Economics from North Carolina State University and was licensed as a Certified Public Accountant (retired).
In 2003 he married Joyce Morris Thorpe and enjoyed many happy years. She cared for him after the onset of his illness until her death in 2019.
Personally, one of Don, Jr.’s friends summed up Don by saying, “He was kind, he was humble and always spoke with a twinkle of humor in his eyes and in his voice. I loved his subtle humor and I loved his faith…” He served as a Deacon, Trustee and Sunday School teacher in numerous churches in different cities in which he lived, including his last church, Calvary Church of Greensboro. He supported missions and aid programs abroad, with a special devotion to helping the poor in India. He was an avid reader, lover of popcorn and for many years would buy and repair antique furniture. About that hobby, he would often say “I can fix anything except a broken heart and the crack of dawn.”
Don is predeceased by his first wife and mother of his children, Sue Carter Yount, and second wife, Joyce Morris Yount, by his parents, Vance and Lottie, and by 12 brothers and sisters, Alma Yancey, Hattie Goforth, Eva Isaac, Vance Yount, Jr., Carley Yount, Roy Yount, Loy Yount, Shirley Shook, Johnnie Yount, Merle Clark, Nora Yount and Teddy Yount, all of Catawba County.
Survivors include Don, Jr. (Chaun) of Allentown, PA and Vanessa Yount Carroll (Roy) of Greensboro, and five grandchildren, Brittany Carroll, Madison Carroll Snyder (Trevor), and Hayleigh Carroll (Gregory Hopkins), all of Greensboro, Carter Yount of Royal Oak, MI and Dillon Yount of Pittsburgh, PA. Survivors also include brother-in-law, Grey Carter of McLean, VA, many nieces and nephews and dear friend Dianne.
The family would like to thank the wonderful team who loved and cared for him over the last two years: Jane, Derrek, Danielle, Sandra, Donna and Tanekia.
Given the potential impact of COVID-19 on large gatherings, the family held a small, private, limited memorial for Don, with hopes that approval of a vaccine in the near future will soon allow for a public celebration of Don’s life. For all who wished to attend this memorial, Don’s family appreciates your understanding.
His body was interred at Lakeview Cemetery, Greensboro.
In lieu of flowers, Don requested donations in his memory be given to the Piedmont Triad Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. 216 W Market, STE B, Greensboro, NC 27401.
