Craig Walters Lea, 74, a native of Richmond, VA and Charlotte, NC, passed away on May 26, 2020, surrounded by his family at his home in Shallotte, NC.

Craig is survived by his wife, Jane Chambers Lea; his two sons, Jameson and Peyton Lea; and his brother, Mebane T. Lea, Jr. He is predeceased by his parents, Mebane T. Lea, Sr. and Elizabeth Craig Lea, and his son, Grayson Lea.

Craig was raised in Richmond, VA and graduated from Douglas Freeman High School. He went on to graduate from his beloved University of Virginia (still reigning national champions in basketball!) with a degree in Civil Engineering. His work career spanned from building bridges and schools, to scheduling the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and owning a restaurant.

He married Jane in 1977 in Yorktown, VA. They moved to Charlotte in 1980 for the construction of a new Philip Morris plant, and remained there until 2016, when they retired to the NC coastal town of Shallotte. In the 80s, Craig and Jane welcomed three boys, Jameson, Grayson and Peyton into the world. Tragically, Grayson died in an automobile accident in 1999 at age 14. Craig turned this very difficult time into an opportunity for hope and positivity by creating the Grayson Lea Memorial Scholarship, which awards scholarships to soccer (Grayson’s passion) players at Piedmont High School. With the proceeds of an annual golf tournament on his birthday (May 23) and other generous donations, the fund has given 69 scholarships totaling $192,000 in 19 years.

Craig thoroughly enjoyed his retirement years by traveling – several times to Ireland – and playing golf in his neighborhood of River’s Edge and beyond. He was a regular at the ever-delicious and charming Big Nell’s Pit Stop for breakfast, and Duffer’s for a coveted fried bologna sandwich. But more than anything, his greatest joy was being with friends and family. Craig knew no stranger, and in fact, would always remember his friends’ birthdays and be the first to call or send a card, usually both. He lived a full and thoughtful life, was so well loved, and will be deeply missed.

A celebration of life will be held on the 18^th hole of River’s Edge golf course in Shallotte, NC on Friday June 5, 2020 at 7:30pm. A more formal ceremony will take place at his home church Hickory Grove United Methodist in Charlotte, NC on dates TBD, as restrictions are lifted for indoor gatherings.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Grayson Lea Memorial Scholarship fund: https://www.fftc.org/donate/grayson_lea_memorial_scholarship_fund.

Checks made out to the Grayson Lea Memorial Scholarship Fund send to:
Peyton Lea 1515 E. Franklin St. #22 Chapel Hill, NC 27514

…Or to River’s Edge Veterans Association: Nick Micale 495 Laurel Valley Dr. Shallotte, NC 28470

On line condolences may be sent to www.brunswickfuneralservice.com.

Brunswick Funeral Service Shallotte Chapel