Ralph McCrary’s legacy honored

The late Ralph McCrary didn’t care who needed help – or how tough the job was – he was going to get it done. A large crowd of family, co-workers, friends and loved ones gathered Friday, April 24 for the unveiling of the Ralph McCrary Boulevard sign in his honor on the former Old Jackson Street. In addition to helping wherever a hand was needed, he kept the city of Zebulon running smoothly with nearly 40 years of service as an employee. He and his wife Brenda attended Mount Hope Baptist Church for many years together.

Ralph was named Citizen of the Year by the city of Zebulon in 2020 and was presented with a key to the city during a council meeting.

“What a blessing he was to our community. He had a servant’s heart. The least we can do to keep his memory alive is to have a servant’s heart like he did and to practice helping each other to honor his memory through service,” said Zebulon Mayor Joe Walter, noting that it was appropriate to celebrate the completion of the road improvement project and celebrate Ralph at the same time. “A lot of hard work went into this and Ralph was a big part of that.”

“This is a small token to show of support and to make sure Ralph’s name is not forgotten – and it won’t be,” said Mayor Walter.

Many special guests were in attendance as Zebulon council members Claude Hollis and Rufus Clemmons spoke along with Mayor Joe Walter and Zebulon Public Works Director Rod Wilson.

“This area and this street in particular is very sentimental to family and those who knew and loved Ralph,” said Clemmons. “This is the street he lived on and the street he grew up on. It’s also the street I grew up on. This is going to be a great part of our local history.”

Public Works Director Rod Wilson worked closely with Ralph for many years.

“I had the absolute privilege to know Ralph McCrary – a guy who worked for a place for almost 40 years. I’d be up here a month trying to name all the things Ralph did for the city,” said Wilson. “He didn’t see black and white, rich or poor. He helped everybody. He didn’t have hobbies. His hobby was to help people. His work day didn’t stop when he got home from work. That’s when he went to work. He went out helping people and he did it as good as anybody I’ve ever known. He was as good as they come. This is a fitting tribute to a really, really great man. Not a good man, a great man.”

Family members gathered around the sign and visited with members of the community.
“He was a good man. Anything we needed and he was there, at all hours. I would describe him as a hero,” said his granddaughter Desire McCrary. “He made an impact on a lot of folks lives and you could always call him for anything. When he left, it did break a lot of hearts. But we know he is in a better place now and his name will stay alive.”