Junius "Bud" Sales, Jr.

Asheville – Junius “Bud” Sales, Jr., 85, of Asheville, passed away at his home on Thursday, October 20. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Aretha Wilson Sales, daughter Keila Briggs and husband Blaine, grandchildren, Annlei Briggs Burke, husband Josh, Ivy Briggs, Nathan Sales, wife Kate, Laurel Sales, and sister, Peggy Whisnant and husband J.D. He was preceded in death by his parents, Junius “Pap” Sales, Sr. and Annie Hughes Sales, and son, Richard Sales.

Bud was born on March 18, 1937 in Asheville, and was a lifelong resident of the Reynolds Community. Bud became the 6th generation of the Sales family to farm their land after graduating from North Carolina State University with a horticulture degree in 1959. He opened Sales Greenhouses in 1972. The greenhouse business diversified the family farm, which was primarily growing cabbage, corn, and tobacco at the time. The greenhouse celebrated a successful 50th season this past spring. Bud was incredibly proud of being a farmer and the fact that Sales Farm is designated as a bicentennial farm, having continuously operated for over 200 years, by the N.C. Department of Agriculture. His influence and efforts were crucial to establishing the North Carolina Mountain State Fair and he served on advisory committees for Governor Jim Hunt, and Commissioners of Agriculture Jim Graham and Steve Troxler. He also served for many years in the North Carolina Vegetable Growers Association. Bud was a lifelong advocate for agriculture and Western North Carolina, and was instrumental in establishing the Western North Carolina Farmers Market. He was inducted into the North Carolina Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2005 and was awarded the Order of the Longleaf Pine for significant contributions to his community by Governor Easley in 2004.

Bud was a founding member of Reynolds Fire Department, established in 1968. He served as Chief from 1968 to 2008 and was the longest-serving continuous fire chief in North Carolina. Under Bud’s leadership, the fire department grew from a single hand-me-down truck and a group of volunteers to a full-fledged agency and vital community resource. He continued to serve on their board of directors after his retirement.

Bud was a charter member of Reynolds Baptist Church, established in 1969. He was active in the congregation and served as a life-long deacon. In 2018, he donated land to Reynolds High School in honor of Richard to serve as the practice field for the marching band. The cross country course for the high school is also located on his property, and is used by many in our community. He enjoyed visiting with his neighbors every day as they walked their dogs. He believed in living a life committed to Christ and lived out his values in the way he cherished his family, friends, and community.

A visitation for friends and family will be held on Sunday, October 23rd at 1:00 pm with the funeral service to follow at 3:00 pm at Reynolds Baptist Church with Pastor Bobby Smith officiating. Burial will follow at the Gashes Creek Baptist Cemetery with a procession led by the Reynolds Fire Department.

The Sales family would like to say a very special thank you to the Reynolds Fire Department for all their loving support during this difficult time.