Char Gruver's Obituary
Char Gruver, 66, of Oakboro passed away Tuesday, October 6, 2015 in Duke University Medical Center in Durham.? A Celebration of her life will be held at 3 PM on Saturday, October 10, 2015 at Albemarle First Assembly with Dr. Randall Rogers, Dr. Charles Kelly, Pastor Bryan Rainbow and Rev. Mark Muirhead officiating.? Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.? The family will receive friends at Albemarle First Assembly on Friday evening from 6 until 9 PM.
Char was born February 28, 1949 in San Francisco, CA, to Miriam Westervelt of Mesa, AZ.?Char is the 2nd oldest of six children. Growing?up, she lived coast to coast from Washington to Idaho to Kansas, and then to Massachusetts.? Charlene graduated as the valedictorian of a college preparatory program from Bellingham Memorial High School in Massachusetts in June of 1967, an amazing feat considering she attended high school in 3 states.? Her academic accomplishments were matched by her athleticism, serving as the captain of her Basketball and Softball teams.
In the fall of 1967, she was off to the University of Iowa and became a member of the Delta Zeta sorority.? Pursuing a degree in mathematics served her well becoming a paid math tutor to the football team, which included her future husband, Robert Gruver. She graduated from Liberty University and was business administrator at First Assembly.? Char loved gardening and enjoyed board games and word puzzles with her family.? Her grandbabies were one of the most important things in her life.? She was dedicated to the Pregnancy Resource Center of Albemarle, where she served as Treasurer for over 15 years.
Char was married to the love of her life Pastor Bob Gruver for 46 years.? Her children are Brodie Gruver and wife Heather of Altlanta, GA, Chris DiBona and husband Christopher of Chapel Hill, NC.? She has a brother, Randall Grathwohl, and wife Beverly of San Francisco, sisters Denise Schmallen of Mesa, AZ, Roberta Selleck and husband Peter of Scottsdale, AZ, Valerie Knafelc and husband Jay of Colorado Springs, CO, and Rhonda Moore of Chandler, AZ, as well as 5 grandchildren, Elaina Gruver, Ethan Gruver, Jennifer DiBona, Lauren DiBona, and Michelle DiBona.
The family requests that, while flowers are welcomed, those wishing to make memorial donations may make them to Albemarle First Assembly, PO Box 516, Albemarle, NC 28002 for the benefit of the Pregnancy Resource Center.
Do you see that lady,
The one standing behind the tree,
Sometimes that's all of her,
That you would ever see,
She went above and beyond,
No matter the task,
She almost always had an answer,
Before you could ever even ask,
Her soul is one that served,
She ensured all was ?good to go?,
But who did all the work,
Few would ever know,
She never wanted the credit,
Or recognition for all she done,
But today she got her reward,
Because she?s dancing beyond the sun,
So when you think of this lady,
The one standing behind the tree,
May it inspire you to be God?s servant,
A testimony of her life, for all to see.
LYM Char,
????????????????? Ryan & Jessica McIntyre
What’s your fondest memory of Char?
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