Ronald Lewis Massey, Jr.

Obituary: Ronald Lewis Massey, Jr., earned his final victory on Saturday, October 11, 2014. Massey, a devoted Christian, son, husband, father, friend, teacher, and coaching legend, was 56 years old. He was the head football coach at Piedmont High School in Monroe, NC. The family will hold a visitation at Whitley's Funeral Home, Kannapolis, NC on Wednesday, October 15th from 5:00 to 8:00 pm, and funeral services will be held Thursday, October 16th at First Baptist Church in Kannapolis at 4:00 pm. Burial will follow the service at Carolina Memorial Park in Kannapolis, NC. Massey, a native of Graham, NC, graduated from Graham High School in 1976. He went on to play college football at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC, graduating in 1980. Coach Massey's coaching career in North Carolina was long and storied, earning him respect from thousands of former players and numerous coaching peers. "Coach" began his head coaching career at Enloe High School in Raleigh in 1988 winning Wake County Coach of the Year his first season. From Raleigh, Coach Massey moved to Seventy-First High School in Fayetteville, amassing a record of 32-14 in three seasons. Next, Coach took the head coaching job at Kings Mountain High School where he led the Mountaineers to the 1998 State Championship game. He left Kings Mountain with of record 47-15-2. Coach Massey started at A. L. Brown High School in Kannapolis as Head Football Coach and Athletic Director in 2000, taking the 2008 team to the 3AA State Championship game. During his eleven years at Brown, Coach compiled a 120-32 record, winning nine conference championships. He had been Head Coach at Piedmont High since 2012. He was an assistant coach for the NC Shrine Bowl game in 2001. He also coached the 2001 East/West All-Star Game. He won SWC, NPC, and SPC Coach of the Year accolades numerous times. Coach Massey was an active member of NC High School Athletic Association and served multiple years on the Board of Directors of the NC Athletic Directors Association. He was also active in the NC Football Coaches Association, serving as President in 2001-02. In 2006, he was inducted into the Kings Mountain Hall of Fame, and in 2007 was honored with the Homer Thompson Memorial Eight Coaches Who Make a Difference Award from the NCHSAA. Massey was a member of Kannapolis First Baptist Church and was a motivational speaker at various civic and religious events in North Carolina. Coach Massey was born December 17, 1957, to Beverly Marlette Starr and Ronald Lewis Massey, Sr. He is survived by his loving wife and son, Sherry Childress Massey and Zachary Blayne Massey; his mother, Beverly Starr and husband Stan Starr; father, Ronald Massey, Sr., and wife Betty; his brothers, Greg Massey and wife Wendy and Brett Massey and wife Annette; his sister, Heather Silver and husband Aaron; step-brother Todd Wilson and wife Christa; step-sisters, Tamara Wilson and Shelley Simms and husband Mark. Numerous loving nieces and nephews also survive. In addition to his intense love for the game of football and his devotion to the edification of his players, Coach Massey enjoyed spending time with his family at his home on Topsail Island and a good round of golf. He was a Christian role model to his players and a mentor to fellow young coaches. The one word most frequently ascribed to how Coach Massey conducted both his personal and professional life is "classy." It is a word this humble man of God would have shunned, yet all who knew and loved him witnessed by daily example and servitude that everything about Coach was nothing short of first class. Memorials can be made Piedmont High Booster Club, 2006 Sikes Mill Road, Monroe, NC, 28110. On-line condolences may be left at www.whitleysfuneralhome.com who is serving the family.
Visitation: 5:00 to 8:00 PM Wednesday October 15, 2014 Whitley's Funeral Home

Service: 4:00 PM, Thursday October 16, 2014 First Baptist Church of Kannapolis

Interment: Carolina Memorial Park