Paisley Family Association

Members

• Diane Langston, Paisley Family DNA Project Leader, PFA Newsletter Editor, Genealogist, and PFA Librarian
• Harvey Lee McCollum, PFA Past President
• Gary Paisley, Clan Paisley Database Project Leader

Friends

• Martha Pasley Brown, Clan Paisley USA Commissioner Emerita
• Eugenia Paisley Vogel, Clan Paisley USA Commissioner Emerita

In Memoriam

• Curtis Roland Kennedy, PFA and Clan Paisley Chaplain

CURTIS ROLAND KENNEDY

On December 1, 2025, Curtis Roland Kennedy, at the remarkable age of 103, passed away into the loving arms of his Lord and Savior. He was well-accomplished, well-respected, well-loved, and will be missed.

Curtis was born on April 1, 1922, on his family farm in Moore County, NC. He attended Rankin High School in Greensboro, where on Graduation night, he saw “the prettiest girl he had ever seen” and persuaded her to go out on their first date. Mary “Lib” Paisley Kennedy then became his wife of almost 70 years upon her passing.

Curtis began his career in the electrical field at Starr Electric in Greensboro. He served in WWII in the United States Navy as an electrician supporting radar for the naval fleet. After the war he returned to Starr Electric. He became the Chief Electrical Inspector for Guilford County. He was named the first Executive Director for the NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors in 1970, and later Chairman of the Board, with “The Kennedy Board Room” in Raleigh named in his honor. He continued to serve on the Board well past retirement, winning many Honors, Achievements, and Distinguished Service Awards.

Curtis loved the Lord and the church. He was a faithful member of Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church since 1946. He served in many capacities, including a Sunday School teacher, Staff Parrish, Chairman of the Administrative Board, and many other committees. He kept the lights on and electricity flowing whenever called upon. He received recognition from the church with “The Cross and Flame Award”, Mission Recognition Pin, and “Layperson of the Year”.

Curtis was active in his community. He was instrumental in the establishment of the McLeansville Volunteer Fire Department and served as Chairman of the McLeansville Fire District Commission. He was a charter member of the McLeansville Lions Club, from 1960 until his passing. “The Lion Curtis Kennedy Stew Room” is named in his honor. He received the highest award in Lionism, “The Melvin Jones Fellow Award” along with many other recognitions. He was a Mason in the P.P. Turner Masonic Lodge #746 and was the first to be raised to degree of Master Mason in 1969. He loved the Boy Scouts of America and in 1947, became the first Scout Master for the troop at Mt. Pleasant UMC. He guided 68 young men to the rank of Eagle Scout. In 1970, he received the highest honor bestowed upon an adult in scouting, the Silver Beaver Award.

Curtis did all this while enjoying his family, and his loves of gardening, golfing, playing Rook, and traveling. We all loved his famous Red Hots, pancakes, at our big family breakfasts. PawPaw gave driving lessons to the grands and great-grands, first on lawn mowers, then real cars on the “ball diamond” yard. He never sold a vegetable but loved to share all he grew with everyone…especially his watermelons!

God welcomed Curtis home for a glorious reunion with his beloved wife Lib; his parents, Joseph Astor and Sarah Sanders Kennedy; his brothers Bill, Richard, and David Kennedy, his sisters Marie Strickland, Myrtle Strickland, and Dot Kivett; as well as his precious daughter Mary Frances “Fran” Kennedy Sherrill and her husband Jerry. Left to cherish his memory are his devoted son Curtis “Roland” Kennedy, Jr.; his grandchildren Deana Sherrill King and husband Randall, Curtis “Curt” Sherrill and wife Robin, and Jennifer Kennedy Vail and husband Drew; and his great-grandchildren Andrew and Ethan King, Lance Dodson, and Addison and Zachary Sherrill. He was also blessed by his many nieces, nephews, and their children. Curtis will be remembered for his warmth, helpfulness, and the positive impact he made on all those around him.

The family will be accepting visitors at Forbis & Dick Funeral Service, 1118 North Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401 on Thursday, December 4th from 6:00-9:00 pm. Funeral services will be held Friday, December 5th at 12:00 noon with burial services following in the church cemetery at Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church, 5120 Burlington Road, Greensboro, NC 27405. Any donations may be bestowed upon Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church.

DIANE LANGSTON

Diane Jones Langston is the administrator of the Paisley Family DNA Project, the editor of the Paisley Family Association newsletter, a genealogist, and custodian of an extensive collection of Paisley-related papers, documents, photos, and books. She graduated from James Madison University with a degree in Library Science and a minor in History. She received her Master’s degree from Longwood University as a Reading Specialist.

Diane grew up in Chesterfield County, Virginia and has been attending family reunions her whole life. Once extended relatives noticed Diane’s interest in the family, they started donating materials to her. At age 18, she was accepted into the Daughters of the American Revolution using her 5^th great-grandfather William Paisley Jr.’s Revolutionary War service record. Diane and family have been to Scotland twice to participate in Clan Paisley gatherings.

Diane recently retired after having served as a school librarian for 36 years. Her husband Jay Langston took a new job in the Shenandoah Valley, which led them to buy 20 acres in the Allegheny Mountains and build a little house with a fantastic view. They have three grown children: Ashley, David, and Candler.

GARY PAISLEY

Gary Vance Paisley manages the PFA’s Clan Paisley Database Project.  He is a retired engineer living in Monroe, Georgia, east of Atlanta.  He grew up in Grayson County, Virginia, a member of a Paisley family group that has lived in the Upper New River Valley of Virginia and North Carolina for over 200 years, and which descends from American Revolutionary War veteran, John Paisley (served in the Guilford County, North Carolina Militia).

In 1982, as an experiment in using a very primitive version of today’s personal computer, Gary began digitizing genealogical information on his extended family.  This was several years before made-for-the-purpose ‘family tree” software was developed.  Through the years since, Gary continued this activity as a hobby, while keeping pace with ever-improving computer technology, the expanding internet, and various genealogy software developments.  After retiring from a frequently globe-trotting and sometimes “mildly-adventurous” engineering role with The Coca-Cola Company, he volunteered to make his database available to others, and to expand it to include all persons surnamed Paisley, as well as their descendants.

In recent years, Gary’s efforts have been helped along by additional volunteers who have participated by either directly digitizing records, providing their own already-developed family trees that Gary has merged into the database, or providing handwritten or typewritten family records still needing to be digitized.  As a result, the database continues to grow, now containing well over 1 million records and expanding at an average pace of about 1,500 new records per week.

Gary’s passion for the database project comes with the tolerance and support of his loving wife, Cathy Thurman Paisley.  They have two adult children, Zachary (wife, Molly) and Rebecca, and three beautiful grandchildren, Genevieve Paisley, and her twin brothers Beauregard and Calvin Paisley.

Gary predicts that the Clan Paisley Database will continue its rapid growth for at least another decade, aligned with an ultimate goal of tracing our Clan all the way back in time to its Scottish roots.  He firmly believes that great discoveries are in store for us as we continue to collect and digitally document all our ancestry!