Black Mountain, NC   John Ellis Love, a long time resident of Black Mountain, passed away at Brighton Gardens in Winston Salem on January 14, 2010 at the age of 92.  Mr. Love was the only child of the late Dr. James Mitchell Ray Love and Annie Lee Almond Love and was born in Bamberg South Carolina and raised in Norwood, North Carolina. 

He was educated in the Stanley County, North Carolina public schools.  After high school graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army and was assigned to Company C, 105th Engineers at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.  He served in the New Guinea and Philippine Campaigns in the Pacific theatre during WWII and retired from the military as a First Lt.

Upon leaving the military, Mr. Love worked for the U S Post Office in Oteen and Swannanoa, the Curtis Candy Company, then the State of North Carolina Employment Security Commission in Asheville where he received great personal and professional satisfaction from helping the people he served through this agency.  He received numerous commendations for his work.

After retiring from the state, he enjoyed attending the Black Mountain Presbyterian Church and serving as an Earth Team volunteer for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.  His hobbies included photography, working with audio-video media, and woodworking.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years Wanda Ellen Schweidenback Love; two daughters Bet (Jim) Ellis of Winston Salem, North Carolina, and Joan (Gaines) Smith of Auburn, Alabama; three grandchildren Kevin (Michelle) Harper of Birmingham, Alabama, Karen (Patrick) Carr of Washington, DC, and Kimberly Ellis of Portland, Oregon; great-grandchildren Anderson Webb Harper of Birmingham, Alabama, Ann Ellis Harper of Birmingham, Alabama and Ann Elizabeth (Annie) Carr of Washington, DC. 

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Brigman’s Funeral Service in Black Mountain.  Visitation will be from 6:30pm to 8:00pm on Sunday, January 17, 2010 at the funeral home. A private memorial service and inurnment will be at Arlington National Cemetery.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to a favorite charity.

For those who wish to convey words of comfort to the family online may do so under Mr. Love’s obituary at www.brigmans.com.