Robert Nelson Connor, “Pop Pop”, died peacefully, on Saturday, March 29th. Born August 19, 1949, in Gastonia, North Carolina, he was a son of the late Adam Eugene Connor (Jim) and the late Alice Pearson Connor. Nelson became an active member of First Presbyterian Church in Kings Mountain on April 2nd, 1995. He was a Sunday School teacher for the youth and served as an elder on the Session for many years. Nelson earned his Bachelor Degree of Arts and English Education from North Carolina State University. He received several honors over the years. One was the Volunteer of the Year in 1993 from Community Organization on Drug, Alcohol Prevention (CODAP). Another was in 1997, when he was named the Kings Mountain High School Teacher of the Year. And in 2005, Nelson received the Excellence in Service Award for Kings Mountain Schools. He also received the Dorothea Dix Spirit Award from the North Carolina Mental Health Consumers Organization and the Recovery Champion Award from the North Carolina One Community in Recovery in 2012. He also served on the Board of Directors at Pathways (Cleveland County Mental Health). Pathways received the North Carolina Council of Community Programs “Excellence in Consumer Directed Support’s award for its accomplishments through “The Wellness Path: (WRAP) Wellness Recovery Action Planning and Peer Support”. This program was led by Nelson. He was also very involved in Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, Alliance for Health, Partnership for Children, the National Association of Peer Specialists, and the North Carolina Association of Peer Specialists. He worked as the Director of Consumer Affairs & Customer Service at Pathways LME. He taught as an English teacher in the Cleveland County School System for thirteen years. He was the Vice President at Combs Wholesale Produce in Winston Salem, N.C. and the Market Manager of Mountain View Farms in Kings Mountain, N.C.

Survivors: Include his wife, Hallie Ward Connor and her children David Williams, Blanton and Mary Elizabeth Dellinger, (Liza), and her husband Bryan, all of Kings Mountain,N.C.; his brothers Buddy Wylie Connor and his wife Joan of Wilkesboro, N.C., and Charles Eugene Connor (Gene) and his wife Marietta of Danville, V.A.; his sisters Grace Connor Weaver and her husband John of Shelby, N.C., and Kimberly Connor McCormick and her husband Steve of Clover, S.C.; his three grandchildren all of Kings Mountain, N.C., Mary Catherine Dellinger (MC), Virginia Eleanor Dellinger and Ward William Dellinger; along with 5 nephews; 5 nieces; 9 great nephews; 8 great nieces and 3 great, great nieces.

Memorial service: will be held 3:00 pm Saturday at First Presbyterian Church in Kings Mountain with refreshments following the service.

Officiated: by Rev. John Bridges.

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers and as an expression of sympathy, memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, PO Box 1188, Kings Mountain, N.C.28086 or to the Serenity Club, 109 Bethlehem Road, Kings Mountain, N.C. 28086. 

Clay-Barnette Funeral Home of Kings Mountain is serving the family.