Thomas Avery Dillard

Asheville - Thomas Avery Dillard, 84, of 52 Wildwood Acres Road, died Wednesday September 11, 2002 at St. Josephs Hospital. A native of Jackson County, NC, he had lived most of his life in Buncombe County. He had worked for Federated Insurance Company and Hutton Insurance Company and was a member of West Asheville Baptist Church where he was a Deacon and former Sunday School teacher. He was a U.S. Marine Corp Veteran having served in WWll and the Korean Conflict. Mr. Dillard was a son of the late Furman and Ellen Hatcher Dillard. He was also preceded in death by a son, James Mark Dillard; sisters, Leona Birchfield and Mae Dillard: brother, Furman Dillard and step-mother, Florence Dillard. Surviving are his wife, Jannette White Dillard of the home; daughter, Anne Dillard Alley and husband, Boyce of Asheville and special daughter, Kathy Hooper and husband, Rev. Tony Hooper of Asheville; grandchildren, Amanda E. Alley and fianc Brian Morrison, Ashley J. Alley and fianc Tim Roberts, Heather Hooper and Ryan Hooper; sister, Elizabeth Beck of Sylva. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at West Asheville Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. James Johnson and Rev. Tony Hooper officiating. Burial will be in Pisgah View Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at Anders-Rice Funeral Home.