Bobby Lee Reary

Bobby Lee Reary, 95, passed away on January 20, 2026, at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC.

Bobby was born on January 29, 1930, in Caldwell County, North Carolina, to Brady Reary and Jettie Stallings. He worked for many years as a truck driver.

Bobby was a man who believed in showing up. He was always on time and always kept his commitments, not because anyone was watching, but because that was simply how he moved through the world. Reliability was his quiet virtue.

He loved the outdoors, and he loved making things with his own hands. Building, fixing, improving—there was deep pride in what he could create and repair himself. He trusted his abilities, valued self-sufficiency, and took real satisfaction in doing things right.

Bobby had a gentle appreciation for small things. Family mattered deeply to him, as did the living world around him—especially wild birds. He would often say that if he could return to this world after passing, he’d like to come back as a bird. There was something in that freedom, that watchfulness, that felt right to him.

He was especially fond of the wood thrush, whose song carries from deep within the trees—clear, flute-like, and unshowy. The wood thrush does not perform for crowds or compete with noise; it sings from the green canopy, unseen, and somehow fills the space anyway. Bobby loved that about it. The song lingers, then moves on, leaving the listener quieter, more aware.

Like that bird, Bobby lived without spectacle. He didn’t seek attention or applause. His presence was steady, his values consistent, his contributions lasting. He belonged more to the rhythms of seasons than to the noise of the world, more to making and tending than to display.

Those who listened closely knew him well. And those who listen now—to the wind through trees, to birdsong at dusk—may still feel something of his spirit there: faithful, grounded, and free.

Bobby was preceded in death by his parents; beloved wife, Helen Joyce Young Reary; daughters, Nancy Stewart and Mary Alice Reary; brothers, James Reary, BH Reary, John Reary; and sister, Norma Craig.

He is survived by his daughter, Olivia Callens-Aupperle; grandchildren, Richard Lawson III, Andy Reary, Alex Karola, and Blake Reary; Tommie Ramsey, who was like a daughter to him; sisters, Marlene Benfield, Patricia Blakeley; Ashton Van Pelt, who was like a granddaughter to him; four great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at Hayworth-Miller Silas Creek Chapel, 3315 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem, NC 27103, officiated by Pastor Jim Bush. An urn burial will immediately follow the service at Parklawn Memorial Gardens, 2730 Peters Creek Pkwy, Winston-Salem, NC 27127.

Hayworth-Miller Silas Creek Chapel is respectfully serving the family.