Roger William Dalton Jr. died Sunday, April 6, 2014.

Roger, a native of Craven County, was the son of the late Roger William Dalton Sr. and Louise Eborn Dalton Lupton. He served his country in the U.S. Army National Guard.

Roger was a mason and past master of Grantham Lodge #725 and a worthy patron of the Vida Grantham Chapter #348 of the Order of the Eastern Star in New Bern, NC. He was also a member of the Sudan Shriners and a 32nd degree mason of the Scottish Rite.

A Coca-Cola man from an early age, Roger was general manager of Weldon Coca-Cola and was employed with the company for 32 years. After his years with Coke, he went on to pursue other careers, owning and operating Heavenly Ham, working as general manager of Acme Chevrolet-Cadillac-Olds, and working as a commercial real estate broker with Wilkie Real Estate.

A longtime community leader, Roger served the public as a commissioner on the Halifax County Board of Commissioners and as a trustee on the Halifax Community College Board of Trustees. He also applied his business skills as a member of the Halifax County Convention and Visitors Bureau Board, as a chairman of the Halifax County Economic Development Commission, as a charter member of Halifax County Business Horizons, as a two-time president of the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce, and in numerous other leadership positions.

The family would like to thank Halifax Home Health and Hospice, particularly Marie, Karen, Cheryl, Marion, and Ann, for their special care and concern for Roger and his family during the past several months. The family would also like to thank Drs. Maradiaga and Miller for all of their medical care and Starke Rogers for his assistance with Roger’s care.

Surviving are his wife of 48 years Edna Collins Dalton; mother Louise Eborn Lupton; sons Jeffrey William Dalton and his wife Alexandra of Raleigh; Roger Stanley Dalton of Roanoke Rapids and Kathy Jewell of Greenville, NC; granddaughter Savannah Grace Dalton; sister-in-law Sue Collins Hardison and her husband David and niece Jennifer Paige Hardison of New Bern; and brother-in-law Ronald Elbert Collins and his wife Sue of Goldsboro.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 11, 2014, at Rosemary Baptist Church in Roanoke Rapids. The Reverend Dr. Layne Wallace will officiate the service.

Burial will follow in Cedarwood Cemetery with masonic rites and military honors.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2014, at Askew Funeral and Cremation Services in Roanoke Rapids.