Ernest Wilson Glass, 93, of Columbus, NC, died on March 19, 2017 after a prolonged illness. Born in Sanford, NC on August 12, 1923, he was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Charlotte Marjorie Magruder; parents W. Thomas and Lenora Buchanan Glass; sisters Lillian Jones, Mary Eunice Mitchell, Ruth Wilson; and brothers W. Thomas, Jr., George Graham, and John Glass. He is survived by sister-law Myrtle Ray Glass and four sons and spouses: Ernest, Jr. and Gina Glass of Oriental, NC; Charles and Tina Glass of Kingsport, TN; David and Becky Glass of Yorktown, VA; and Thomas (Captain, Ret., USN) and Elizabeth Glass, also of Yorktown; grandchildren Matthew (and Lindy), Jennifer, Parker, Tommy, Jr, George and Evan; great-granddaughter Macie; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews; and devoted friend, Mary Alemany, of Columbus, NC. A lifetime Baptist minister, Ernest was ordained by First Baptist Church, Sanford on August 12, 1945 and was a member of First Baptist Church Tryon at the time of his death. He had pastorates in Chadbourn, Weldon, and Charlotte (Allen Street/Shamrock Drive), as well as interims throughout NC and served as a chaplain in the US Navy. Additionally, he served with the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention as a foreign missionary to Singapore for nine years where he was the Treasurer of the Baptist Mission in Malaysia and started several English and Chinese speaking congregations in Singapore. He graduated from Wake Forest College, Duke Divinity School, Southern Seminary and completed Chinese Language Studies at Yale University. He was a veteran of WWII and Korea, and fulfilled numerous ministerial, trustee and board roles in the NC Baptist Convention. Ernest was influenced early on by his father’s diligence to provide for the extended family and by the influence of the church in their lives, including their sponsorship of a Boy Scout troop where he reached the rank of Eagle Scout. As a 14-year old, he felt the call to ministry and, true to form, made preparations for it, including taking Greek. He worked his way through college with the help of some funds from his siblings. A Navy college training program further shaped his ministry (and future Reserve commission) through Duke Divinity School. After seminary, he taught Religion for a year (but mostly learned, he later said) at Wake Forest College. He met his wife, Marjorie, when in seminary while she attended W.M.U. Training School. The warmth of family and community meant so much to him. Always humble and private by nature, he couldn’t have foreseen the places he would go, nor the languages and cultures he would learn and share as a minister and missionary. He was a true gentleman, tinkerer, wood worker, computer geek, electrician, collector, family historian, jokester and more. He took a rational approach to life, thinking and then speaking, but at the same time he had a compassionate heart for those hurting. The family is grateful to the entire staff/teams and doctors at Tryon Estates, St. Luke’s and Rutherfordton hospitals and Hospice of the Carolina Foothills for their care and compassion. A memorial service will be held at 2 PM on April 1 in the Tryon Estates auditorium, Columbus, NC, conducted by Reverends Jeff Harris and Tim Willis. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts be made to Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Mission Fund; First Baptist Church, Tryon; or Hospice of Carolina Foothills.

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