Deacon Carl Hubbell Sr.
MURPHY — Deacon Carl Warner Hubbell Sr., 91, passed away April 9, 2025, at the age of 91. Born on Sept. 8, 1933, he lived a life marked by service, devotion and love.
A memorial service to celebrate his life and legacy will be held at noon Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Hayesville.
Deacon Hubbell proudly served his country for 20 years in the U.S. Air Force with dedication and integrity. After retiring from military service, he turned his focus to his faith.
He began studies for the diaconate program at St. Vincent De Paul Seminary in Boyton Beach, Florida, and was ordained for the Archdiocese of Miami by Archbishop Edward McCarthy on May 14, 1988, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Miami.
He served the Miami archdiocese for nearly a decade in parish ministry, where his main focus of service was youth and family life ministry.
In 1998, he and his wife Carole and their family moved to Murphy and he was incardinated into the Diocese of Charlotte. There he devoted his time to serving the local community and his parish of St. William and its mission, Immaculate Heart of Mary in Hayesville. Even after his retirement from active ministry in 2011, Deacon Hubbell remained a steadfast pillar of the two parishes, offering guidance and support to all who knew him.
Deacon Hubbell was a faithful servant of the Lord and was well known for his ecumenical outreach programs in the region. Among his many efforts at St. William, he established a “Cross Walk” during Holy Week that processed from St. William to the local Episcopal church downtown, that always gathered many Christians of varying denominations to carry the cross and hear homilies from him and other Christian clergy of the community. The Town of Murphy named a short road next to St. William Church after him in honor of his ecumenical leadership.
Deacon Hubbell’s life was a testament to the values of service, faith and family. He will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. His memory will continue to inspire those he leaves behind.
His legacy is carried on by his seven children, five grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren, as well as his nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the local church or a charity of choice in Deacon Hubbell's honor.
Townson-Rose Funeral Home of Murphy is in charge of the arrangements.
— Catholic News Herald
BELMONT — Sister Mary Andrew Ray, a beloved member of the Sisters of Mercy and devoted educator, passed away peacefully, surrounded by the love of her community, on Feb. 8, 2025.
Services will be held Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at Sacred Heart Convent (Cardinal Gibbons Chapel) 500 Sacred Heart Circle in Belmont, with viewing from 10 to 11 a.m. and the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. A reception will follow. Interment will take place at Belmont Abbey Cemetery at 1:30 p.m.
The Mass will be livestreamed at www.facebook.com/share/p/1BVPujWQo7.
Hazel Rita Ray was born Jan. 30, 1935, at Mercy Hospital in Charlotte, the youngest of four children to Frederick C. Ray, originally from Waycross, Georgia, and Helen Kidd Ray of Charlotte. The Ray family was also one of the founding members of St. Patrick Catholic Parish (now St. Patrick Cathedral) in Charlotte.
A dedicated student and spirited teenager, she attended St. Patrick School, formerly known as O’Donoghue School, where her love for learning and passion for helping others first blossomed. After many hints from several Sisters of Mercy, she entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1952, marking the beginning of a remarkable journey of service and education.
Sister Mary Andrew earned her Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies from Sacred Heart College/Belmont Abbey College. With an unwavering commitment to education, she played a pivotal role in implementing an English as a Second Language program while ministering at Sacred Heart College. Her dedication to teaching ESL students led her to pursue a master’s degree in English as a Second Language at St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont.
Throughout her illustrious career, Sister Mary Andrew touched countless lives as she taught at various Catholic schools in North Carolina, including St. Mary’s in Wilmington, St. Michael’s in Gastonia, Our Lady of the Assumption in Charlotte, St. Gabriel’s and St. Patrick’s, to list a few. She also served at the former military academy in Belmont, North Carolina, which was run by the Sisters of Mercy.
An active and dedicated member of the Sisters of Mercy, Sister Mary Andrew held the position of Secretary General and worked as the Director of Special Services at Sacred Heart College. One of her greatest passions was serving as the assistant archivist at Sacred Heart Convent, where she worked tirelessly to preserve the stories and legacies of the sisters.
As she embraced her illness in her final years, Sister Mary Andrew remained a beacon of hope and strength, inspiring all who knew her with her motto, “Jesus, I trust in You.” Her unwavering faith and compassion shone brightly through her service to the community, and she will be remembered as a true embodiment of mercy and love. Her spirit of service and love will live on in the hearts of all who were blessed to know her.
She is survived by her devoted cousins, nephews, nieces, and her beloved sisters of the Sisters of Mercy community.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to either the Sisters of Mercy, 101 Mercy Dr., Belmont, N.C. 28012, or The Parkinson’s Foundation (www.parkinson.org).
— Catholic News Herald