Thomas Pate "T.P." Brendle, 91, passed away peacefully on Sunday September 11, 2011, in Raleigh.
He was born the 3rd youngest of 14 children, on February 15, 1920 in Lincoln Co., NC to his parents Zeb Vance and Mildred Jenks Brendle.
T.P. was reared on the large family "working farm" in Lincoln County. The house was the only one with a sidewalk , because his father was the Justice of the Peace and married couples would use the sidewalk to keep the wedding dresses from getting dirty. When the Industrial Revolution was about to start, T.P. felt the need to move to Cramerton, a small cotton mill town. He worked long hard hours and made $13.68 per week. It was during the Great Depression where everyone was hit and they were destitute. The family survived on catfish, squirrels, and home grown vegetables. As a matter of fact, catfish remained his favorite fish for his entire life.
T.P. was a superb athlete in high school. He lettered in baseball, basketball and football. He was so quick running with the ball on the football field, his teammates nicknamed him "Snake Hips". T.P. was even offered a partial scholarship to Ohio State and Georgia Tech, but at the time could not afford to go.
T.P. courted Theresa Ella Mitchell, his future wife, on the basketball court. He taught her to shoot
free throws, and she would often brag she never missed a shot. (It must have been the teacher and all
the free lessons.) They eloped to South Carolina after high school. They then came back to Cramerton
and moved back to their respective family homes, telling no one of the marriage for two years.
T.P. was drafted into the US Army and quickly promoted to Staff Sergeant, shipped to Arizona where Theresa joined him, and then to California. While in California his duties were to guard the incarcerated Japanese soldiers. (He hated it!). He often told the story of playing football in the Rose Bowl while bivouacked there. The actual Rose Bowl was being held at the very same time at Duke University. It had been moved to the East coast because of the Japanese presence in the Pacific. He was shipped to France in 1944 and fought with the Army Engineers all the way to Luxemburg. He said at night he prayed for daylight and during the day prayed for night. He spent "52 damn months" in the army and returned to the US aboard the Queen Mary.
Upon returning, he worked in Cramerton in the mill. He attended the University of North Carolina with his wife and son, Pate living with him in Chapel Hill. T.P. graduated in 1954, with a degree in Accounting. After graduation, they moved to Durham and started his accounting career with Erwin Mills. The family moved to Raleigh around the mid 1950's where T.P. worked for the State Government Accounting Office for many years, and then for the NC Legislature as a Fiscal Analyst before retiring after 30 years.
T.P. loved to fish at the NC beaches and loved to play golf. He was credited for six "hole in ones". During his retirement, he and some friends created "The Golden Tones", a group known for performing Big Band music to accompany dancing the old fashioned way. Many of the senior citizen groups in the Wake County area and beyond enjoyed the music of the Golden Tones, paying $4.00 at the door for dancing, cookies and punch. He loved to play the guitar, his harmonica, and sing the good old classics.
Above all, T.P. loved his family and spending time with them; but a close second was his beloved Tarheels. He will be dearly missed, much loved and never forgotten.
He was born the 3rd youngest of 14 children, on February 15, 1920 in Lincoln Co., NC to his parents Zeb Vance and Mildred Jenks Brendle.
T.P. was reared on the large family "working farm" in Lincoln County. The house was the only one with a sidewalk , because his father was the Justice of the Peace and married couples would use the sidewalk to keep the wedding dresses from getting dirty. When the Industrial Revolution was about to start, T.P. felt the need to move to Cramerton, a small cotton mill town. He worked long hard hours and made $13.68 per week. It was during the Great Depression where everyone was hit and they were destitute. The family survived on catfish, squirrels, and home grown vegetables. As a matter of fact, catfish remained his favorite fish for his entire life.
T.P. was a superb athlete in high school. He lettered in baseball, basketball and football. He was so quick running with the ball on the football field, his teammates nicknamed him "Snake Hips". T.P. was even offered a partial scholarship to Ohio State and Georgia Tech, but at the time could not afford to go.
T.P. courted Theresa Ella Mitchell, his future wife, on the basketball court. He taught her to shoot
free throws, and she would often brag she never missed a shot. (It must have been the teacher and all
the free lessons.) They eloped to South Carolina after high school. They then came back to Cramerton
and moved back to their respective family homes, telling no one of the marriage for two years.
T.P. was drafted into the US Army and quickly promoted to Staff Sergeant, shipped to Arizona where Theresa joined him, and then to California. While in California his duties were to guard the incarcerated Japanese soldiers. (He hated it!). He often told the story of playing football in the Rose Bowl while bivouacked there. The actual Rose Bowl was being held at the very same time at Duke University. It had been moved to the East coast because of the Japanese presence in the Pacific. He was shipped to France in 1944 and fought with the Army Engineers all the way to Luxemburg. He said at night he prayed for daylight and during the day prayed for night. He spent "52 damn months" in the army and returned to the US aboard the Queen Mary.
Upon returning, he worked in Cramerton in the mill. He attended the University of North Carolina with his wife and son, Pate living with him in Chapel Hill. T.P. graduated in 1954, with a degree in Accounting. After graduation, they moved to Durham and started his accounting career with Erwin Mills. The family moved to Raleigh around the mid 1950's where T.P. worked for the State Government Accounting Office for many years, and then for the NC Legislature as a Fiscal Analyst before retiring after 30 years.
T.P. loved to fish at the NC beaches and loved to play golf. He was credited for six "hole in ones". During his retirement, he and some friends created "The Golden Tones", a group known for performing Big Band music to accompany dancing the old fashioned way. Many of the senior citizen groups in the Wake County area and beyond enjoyed the music of the Golden Tones, paying $4.00 at the door for dancing, cookies and punch. He loved to play the guitar, his harmonica, and sing the good old classics.
Above all, T.P. loved his family and spending time with them; but a close second was his beloved Tarheels. He will be dearly missed, much loved and never forgotten.
Thomas Pate "T.P." Brendle, 91, passed away peacefully on Sunday September 11, 2011, in Raleigh.
He was born the 3rd youngest of 14 children, on February 15, 1920 in Lincoln Co., NC to his parents Zeb Vance and Mildred Jenks Brendle.
T.P. was reared on the large family "working farm" in Lincoln County. The house was the only one with a sidewalk , because his father was the Justice of the Peace and married couples would use the sidewalk to keep the wedding dresses from getting dirty. When the Industrial Revolution was about to start, T.P. felt the need to move to Cramerton, a small cotton mill town. He worked long hard hours and made $13.68 per week. It was during the Great Depression where everyone was hit and they were destitute. The family survived on catfish, squirrels, and home grown vegetables. As a matter of fact, catfish remained his favorite fish for his entire life.
T.P. was a superb athlete in high school. He lettered in baseball, basketball and football. He was so quick running with the ball on the football field, his teammates nicknamed him "Snake Hips". T.P. was even offered a partial scholarship to Ohio State and Georgia Tech, but at the time could not afford to go.
T.P. courted Theresa Ella Mitchell, his future wife, on the basketball court. He taught her to shoot
free throws, and she would often brag she never missed a shot. (It must have been the teacher and all
the free lessons.) They eloped to South Carolina after high school. They then came back to Cramerton
and moved back to their respective family homes, telling no one of the marriage for two years.
T.P. was drafted into the US Army and quickly promoted to Staff Sergeant, shipped to Arizona where Theresa joined him, and then to California. While in California his duties were to guard the incarcerated Japanese soldiers. (He hated it!). He often told the story of playing football in the Rose Bowl while bivouacked there. The actual Rose Bowl was being held at the very same time at Duke University. It had been moved to the East coast because of the Japanese presence in the Pacific. He was shipped to France in 1944 and fought with the Army Engineers all the way to Luxemburg. He said at night he prayed for daylight and during the day prayed for night. He spent "52 damn months" in the army and returned to the US aboard the Queen Mary.
Upon returning, he worked in Cramerton in the mill. He attended the University of North Carolina with his wife and son, Pate living with him in Chapel Hill. T.P. graduated in 1954, with a degree in Accounting. After graduation, they moved to Durham and started his accounting career with Erwin Mills. The family moved to Raleigh around the mid 1950's where T.P. worked for the State Government Accounting Office for many years, and then for the NC Legislature as a Fiscal Analyst before retiring after 30 years.
T.P. loved to fish at the NC beaches and loved to play golf. He was credited for six "hole in ones". During his retirement, he and some friends created "The Golden Tones", a group known for performing Big Band music to accompany dancing the old fashioned way. Many of the senior citizen groups in the Wake County area and beyond enjoyed the music of the Golden Tones, paying $4.00 at the door for dancing, cookies and punch. He loved to play the guitar, his harmonica, and sing the good old classics.
Above all, T.P. loved his family and spending time with them; but a close second was his beloved Tarheels. He will be dearly missed, much loved and never forgotten.
He was born the 3rd youngest of 14 children, on February 15, 1920 in Lincoln Co., NC to his parents Zeb Vance and Mildred Jenks Brendle.
T.P. was reared on the large family "working farm" in Lincoln County. The house was the only one with a sidewalk , because his father was the Justice of the Peace and married couples would use the sidewalk to keep the wedding dresses from getting dirty. When the Industrial Revolution was about to start, T.P. felt the need to move to Cramerton, a small cotton mill town. He worked long hard hours and made $13.68 per week. It was during the Great Depression where everyone was hit and they were destitute. The family survived on catfish, squirrels, and home grown vegetables. As a matter of fact, catfish remained his favorite fish for his entire life.
T.P. was a superb athlete in high school. He lettered in baseball, basketball and football. He was so quick running with the ball on the football field, his teammates nicknamed him "Snake Hips". T.P. was even offered a partial scholarship to Ohio State and Georgia Tech, but at the time could not afford to go.
T.P. courted Theresa Ella Mitchell, his future wife, on the basketball court. He taught her to shoot
free throws, and she would often brag she never missed a shot. (It must have been the teacher and all
the free lessons.) They eloped to South Carolina after high school. They then came back to Cramerton
and moved back to their respective family homes, telling no one of the marriage for two years.
T.P. was drafted into the US Army and quickly promoted to Staff Sergeant, shipped to Arizona where Theresa joined him, and then to California. While in California his duties were to guard the incarcerated Japanese soldiers. (He hated it!). He often told the story of playing football in the Rose Bowl while bivouacked there. The actual Rose Bowl was being held at the very same time at Duke University. It had been moved to the East coast because of the Japanese presence in the Pacific. He was shipped to France in 1944 and fought with the Army Engineers all the way to Luxemburg. He said at night he prayed for daylight and during the day prayed for night. He spent "52 damn months" in the army and returned to the US aboard the Queen Mary.
Upon returning, he worked in Cramerton in the mill. He attended the University of North Carolina with his wife and son, Pate living with him in Chapel Hill. T.P. graduated in 1954, with a degree in Accounting. After graduation, they moved to Durham and started his accounting career with Erwin Mills. The family moved to Raleigh around the mid 1950's where T.P. worked for the State Government Accounting Office for many years, and then for the NC Legislature as a Fiscal Analyst before retiring after 30 years.
T.P. loved to fish at the NC beaches and loved to play golf. He was credited for six "hole in ones". During his retirement, he and some friends created "The Golden Tones", a group known for performing Big Band music to accompany dancing the old fashioned way. Many of the senior citizen groups in the Wake County area and beyond enjoyed the music of the Golden Tones, paying $4.00 at the door for dancing, cookies and punch. He loved to play the guitar, his harmonica, and sing the good old classics.
Above all, T.P. loved his family and spending time with them; but a close second was his beloved Tarheels. He will be dearly missed, much loved and never forgotten.
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