Courtesy Stancil Reunion Archive
Pat Narron and James Earl Narron shared a lifetime of love and family, navigating life's joys and profound challenges together. Their partnership formed the cornerstone of a family that extended through sons and grandchildren, rooted deeply in North Carolina before James's career took them to Virginia.
Pat's Early Life
Pat Narron, the first of two children born to Norman and Neta Lee Hill Narron, was born on June 3, 1942, in Charlotte, Mecklenburg, North Carolina.
Pat's early life was marked by significant loss early on. Her father, Norman, passed away on May 17, 1956, in a Wilson hospital, when Pat was just 13 years old. He was laid to rest in the Narron Family Cemetery in Middlesex, Nash, North Carolina.
Despite such a profound loss, Pat's family expanded with the birth of her half-sister, Sharon Anita Godwin, born in 1958 from her mother Neta's marriage with William Vester Godwin.
Pat grew up attending the Oak Grove Presbyterian Church in O'Neals Township in Johnston County. Her future husband James Earl Narron attended church there, too. They always knew each other even though they attended different high schools.
James Earl Narron Sr., son of James Otis and Bertha Narron, was born on December 14, 1942, in Johnston County. He grew up with his brother, Otis Lee Narron, who later passed away in 2016.
Pat and James married on November 28, 1959, at Oak Grove Presbyterian Church in Johnston County, North Carolina, beginning a union that would span nearly six decades.
Pat wore a tea length white wedding gown with rows of ruffled tulle. She found it at Lucille's Dress Shop in Wilson. She wore a fingertip length veil and carried a white Bible topped with white carnations, lily of the valley with an orchard in the center.
Her maid of honor was her cousin, Frances Narron. She wore a lace aqua tea length gown and carried yellow chrysanthemums and yellow roses. Jim's best man was his baseball coach.
Jim borrowed his dad's 1958 Ford for their short honeymoon.
After moving to Virginia, Pat built a long career working for NationsBank. Following her retirement from the banking industry in the late 1990s, she actively pursued her lifelong love of learning. In August 1997, the Richmond Times-Dispatch featured the Chester resident for her dedicated attendance at the Medical College of Virginia's "mini-medical school" community lecture series, where she was preparing to enter her seventh consecutive program phase. "I like that the professors come and talk to us in laymen's terms," Pat noted at the time. "They make it so simple and easy to understand."
A Marriage Built on Shared Joys — Especially Golf
One of the quiet but enduring threads of Pat and Jimmy's marriage was their shared love of golf. It became one of the ways they spent time together, relaxed, and stayed active as a couple.
Jimmy, in particular, was a talented golfer — so talented that he once shot a course-record 62 at River's Bend Golf Course in Chesterfield. He practiced constantly, studied the swings of professional golfers, and even in his mid-50s was competing at a level that drew local newspaper attention. Pat wasn't just a spectator — she enjoyed the game too, and golf became one of the hobbies they shared in their later years.
Their love of golf fit perfectly with the rhythm of their life together: steady, companionable, and full of small joys.
Jimmy's Personality & Passions
The profile written about Jimmy in the Times-Dispatch paints a vivid picture of who he was:
- Disciplined and driven, both in his career and in sports
- Methodical, studying pro golfers and refining his swing
- Competitive, but with a calm, analytical approach
- Community-minded, serving in leadership roles and mentoring others
- Family-oriented, proud of his sons and grandchildren
- He was the kind of man who excelled quietly — not seeking attention, but earning respect through consistency, integrity, and hard work.
James's Distinguished Career
James embarked on a remarkable career, primarily with Philip Morris, where he rose to the position of plant manager in Chester, Virginia. His leadership extended far beyond the workplace:
- Director, Southside United Way
- Manager of the Year, International Management Council
- Arbitrator, Chesterfield County
- Author of three books on leadership
- He believed deeply in developing people, strengthening communities, and leading with integrity.
Together, they built their family with two sons: Kenneth Earl Narron in 1960 and Allen Scott Narron in 1968.
Ken married Tammy Ellis and Allen married Janie Clark.
Their family grew further with the arrival of four grandchildren: Kenny Narron Jr., Kyle Narron, Matthew Narron, and Kayla Narron, bringing immense joy to their lives.
Jim took Pat on a vacation to Hawaii in 1991.
Tragic accident
Tragedy struck her family again in 1972. Her younger brother, Dan Narron, born June 6, 1944, died on April 14, 1972, following a serious work accident in Herford County, where he was caught in a sand pit collapse. He was rushed to Roanoke Chowan Hospital in Ahoskie, NC, but succumbed to his injuries and was also buried in the Narron Family Cemetery.
Just months later, on December 13, 1972, her mother, Neta, died from a head injury sustained in a head-on auto collision on Highway 52. She was pronounced dead at Northern Surry Hospital and rests beside her family in the Narron Family Cemetery.
Jim's passing
After a courageous battle with cancer, James Earl Narron Sr. passed away at the age of 76 on August 27, 2018, in Chester, Virginia. He was laid to rest in Sunset Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Chester, Chesterfield, Virginia.
Pat, who had walked beside him through every chapter of life — from teenage courtship to raising sons to traveling the world — continues to carry forward his memory and the legacy of their family.
Her life story is one of resilience, devotion, and quiet strength.
His is one of leadership, discipline, and deep love for family.
Together, they built the foundation of the Narron line that continues through Kenny Sr., Scott, and their children.
— Renn Stancil Hinton, daughter of George Ralph Stancil