lit a candle 1d agomy mom saw this on facebook and just went quiet for a minute. 53 years married is wild to me, I can't imagine that kind of time with someone. rest easy Mr. McGirt
Their story
Gregory McGirt of Shannon, North Carolina, was a United States Army veteran, husband, father and grandfather whose life was rooted in Robeson County. He was born on 19 April 1953 to Sanford and Frances Locklear McGirt and spent his years among family and friends in the Shannon and Lumberton area.…
Gregory McGirt of Shannon, North Carolina, was a United States Army veteran, husband, father and grandfather whose life was rooted in Robeson County. He was born on 19 April 1953 to Sanford and Frances Locklear McGirt and spent his years among family and friends in the Shannon and Lumberton area.
Public memory of him rests chiefly on the family obituary published by Boles-Biggs Funeral Home of Lumberton after his death. That notice records his military service and the ordinary pleasures that shaped his days: riding a motorcycle, playing golf with friends, fishing, and cutting grass on his zero-turn mower. He was not a national public figure, and no Wikipedia article or major news profile exists for him. What is clear is a life measured in steady family bonds rather than headlines.
Shannon sits in Robeson County, a region with deep Native and rural roots, and McGirt's parents' names, including Frances Locklear McGirt, place him within that local fabric. The funeral home tribute does not detail his civilian occupation or the places of his Army service, and those facts should not be invented. Instead it offers a portrait of a man who found peace in routine outdoor work and companionship with friends on the golf course and the water.
He was preceded in death by his parents and by a daughter, Francesca Christina McGirt. He is survived by Carolyn McGirt, his wife of 53 years; their son Gregory Christopher McGirt and daughter-in-law Melena of Lumberton; siblings Phyllis Hunt and her husband Ronnie of Red Springs, Jeff McGirt and his wife Cherylane of Florida, Dennis L. McGirt of Lumberton and Vicki L. McGirt of Lumberton; six grandchildren, Kayla, Krista, Hope, Dakota, Maleiah and Eli; and five great-grandchildren, Sarah, Roquel, Jamison, Kylie and Kennedy.
Gregory McGirt died on Friday, 18 September 2026, completing a journey of 73 years. Arrangements were announced by Boles-Biggs Funeral Home of Lumberton. This memorial follows the family's published notice so that neighbors and relatives who search for him can find a clear, respectful record of a veteran and family man of Shannon. Friends and relatives seeking details of services should consult the funeral home's announcements, which were still being finalized when the notice first appeared.
Biography adapted from Boles-Biggs Funeral Home official obituary for Gregory McGirt (obId 49634909), Lumberton, North Carolina.
53 years is rare these days, my grandparents almost made it that far too.