William Gary Pressley Sr.

William Gary Pressley, Sr. was born on August 2, 1946, to James Pressley and Evelyn Pressley. To friends and family, Gary was a funny, kind, smart, resilient, spunky, and generous man.

Gary passed in the comfort of his home on September 30, 2026, surrounded by his wife and children.

Born and raised in Haywood County, NC, he met his first love, and on July 27, 1969, he married his first wife, Nellie Pressley, who preceded him in death. He served in the Army from 1968 to 1970, courageously fighting overseas in the Vietnam War. He left the Army as an E4/SP4 Specialist. He retired from Gerber in 1998 after 14 years as their thermal cook. In 1992, he started his own mowing company, Gary’s Lawn Service. For 25 years, he serviced Haywood and surrounding counties, keeping lawns immaculate.

He is survived by his current wife, Freda Corbin Pressley (m. August 18, 2012); his sister Doris Davis; his four children and their spouses: Bill & Donna Pressley, Steven & Lynn Pressley, Janet & Bryan Hackett, and Ron & Rene Plemmons; 11 grandchildren: Hope, Tasha, Jesse, Michael, Sarah, Jasmine, Morgan, Madison, Faith, Savannah, and Jordan; and 24 great-grandchildren: William, Lucas, Jaden, Silas, Sawyer, Tristan, Kynleigh, Bentley, Eli, Octavia, Nellie, Micah, Levi, Elliot, Olivia, Isaac, Elijah, Presslee, Lainey, Emmy, Evelyn, Leah, Kase, and Emiliana (due December 2026).

In his final years, his favorite things to do were travel with his wife, Freda, to the East Coast, cruising to Alaska, canning a variety of foods, watching Pisgah football and football on TV, watching NASCAR, spending time with his family, and attending church with Freda at Mountain View Church of God. To know him was to love him. He had a lifelong impact on many in Haywood County and will be missed terribly.

A funeral service to honor the life of Mr. Pressley will be held at 2:00PM on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at Mountain View Church of God in Canton. Pastor Mike Hicks will be officiating. The family will be receiving friends at the church one hour prior to the service. Burial with Military Honors will be in Long's Community Cemetery in Canton. Honored to be serving as pallbearers are his sons, Bill Pressley, Steve Pressley, and son-in-law, Ron Plemmons, and his grandsons, Michael Pressley, Jesse Dies, and Zach Reynolds.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to Mountain View Church of God at 4000 Pisgah Dr, Canton, NC 28716.

Crawford / Ray Funeral Home and Cremation Service is deeply honored to be caring for the Pressley family.