Rudolph Terry
(ATLANTA) Rudolph Terry, 65, of Atlanta, formerly of Roanoke, died Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, at Atlanta Medical Center after heart bypass surgery on Feb. 22.
He is survived by his loving wife, Allie Ruth, and a devoted son, Michael Rudolph; two brothers, Roy (wife Willo) and William (wife Bessie) Terry; two adopted sisters, Gloria Jean Jordan Sadler (husband Aldren) and Charis Jordan; one uncle, Lee Andrew Wilson; mother-in-law, Rosa Robinson; a number of nieces, nephews and other family members; a host of friends, schoolmates and business associates, and many others whose lives he touched. He was predeceased by his parents, Jesse A. and Velma G. Terry and by one older brother, Jesse Jr.
Rudolphus (later shortened to Rudolph) was born on Oct. 14, 1947, to the late Jesse A. and Velma G. Terry in Roanoke. He attended Randolph County Training School and graduated as class president and valedictorian in 1965. He attended Morehouse College, where he became a charter member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, graduating with high honors in 1969.
When Rudolph graduated from Morehouse College, he received numerous employment offers from major corporations throughout the country, but he chose to come home to Roanoke to help build Terry Manufacturing Company into the leading black-owned clothing manufacturer in the nation with more than 400 employees by the 1990s. In 1989, Rudolph, along with his brother Roy and Terry Manufacturing Company, received the “Minority Manufacturer of the Year Award” at the White House from President George H.W. Bush. When Atlanta received the bid for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, Rudolph led the effort that resulted in Terry Manufacturing Company becoming the first African American clothing licensee of the Olympics and to establishing a company division in Atlanta employing more than 50 persons. Terry Manufacturing Company, during its 40-year history, grew from five employees to become a world-class clothing, embroidery, screen-printing and graphics company, whose customer base included McDonald’s, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Hockey League, the historic Negro Baseball League, more than 100 college licenses and many others.
Rudolph also led the Terry family effort to improve housing conditions for African Americans in Randolph County by building Hillcrest Estates, the first HUD-approved subdivision in Roanoke, and Hillcrest Apartments — with these and many other housing units in Randolph and Chambers counties constructed by another company which he led, Terry Construction Company, during the 1970s and 1980s.
In spite of all the time devoted to building the family businesses, Rudolph always took time to do good works in the community, working with other black leaders in Randolph County to make improvements, including the elimination of police brutality and voter suppression issues, as well as the formation of districts, which allowed minority representation on the county commission and school board and on local city and town councils. In Atlanta and across the nation, Rudolph supported numerous worthy causes and organizations and was a mentor to many aspiring young entrepreneurs.
Every speaker who spoke to the hundreds gathered for the Celebration of the Life of Rudolph Terry at the funeral on Saturday, March 2, at Ben Hill United Methodist Church in Atlanta had stories to tell about how Rudolph Terry had helped some person or some worthy cause. Speakers included former Atlanta Mayor and United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young, Georgia Congressman Sanford Bishop, McDonald’s multi-store owner Leon Goodrum, Ben Hill United Methodist Church Senior Pastor Rev. Richard D. Winn, Philadelphia pediatric surgeon and nephew Timothy Henderson, and Rudolph’s youngest brother, Rev. William Terry of Roanoke. Over 50 Morehouse College Alumni honored Rudolph by singing the Morehouse Hymn at the end of the service. Also, a letter from Randolph County Commission Chairman Bishop Lathonia J. Wright to Rudolph’s wife and son was read to the congregation. Commissioner Wright concluded his letter by saying to Rudolph’s widow and son: “Ruth and Michael, please always remember the love that the people of Roanoke and Randolph County will forever have for Rudolph.”
Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Home of Decatur, Ga., was in charge of arrangements.
