Lloyd Gordon Horton, 90, of Black Mountain, passed away Saturday, February 12, 2011, at Mountain Ridge Wellness Center.
Mr. Horton was born in Colon, Nebraska and was the son of the late Norman and Nellie Horton.
The son of a Presbyterian minister, he was a 1943 graduate of Hastings College where he earned recognition in Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities for his talents in football. Mr. Horton was an Army veteran serving in World War II in the Tank Destroyer Unit. He earned his Master’s Degree in School Administration, graduating from the University of Nebraska in 1954. From 1949 to 1953, he taught and coached 5 sports at Wayne High School in Nebraska, where he coached the boy’s basketball team to finish second in the state championship. He was also inducted into the Wayne High School Athletic Hall of Fame in May of 2008. Beginning in 1954, he began a long career at South Broward High School in Hollywood, Fl., where he taught Social Studies and coached both boy’s football and basketball teams. He then became the Dean of Boy’s at Olson Junior High in Dania, Fl. He was instrumental in pioneering the middle school concept and served as the first principal of Deerfield Junior High School in Deerfield, FL. He also served as principal of Plantation Middle School in Plantation, FL., and retired from Spruce Creek High School as Assistant Principal.
He is survived by two daughters, Diane Vaughan and Lynette Macrae of Old Fort; son, Scott Horton of Black Mountain; step-daughter, Ann Smith of Staunton, VA; granddaughter, Jennifer Smith and her husband , Albert L. Fary, III of Richmond, VA; one sister, Gwen White of New Hampshire. In addition to his parents, Mr. Horton was predeceased by his wife, Margaret (Peg) Wilson Horton and son-in-law, Bill Smith.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, February 18, at 2:00 pm in the chapel of the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Black Mountain. The family requests that memorial donations be made to Volunteer Services Department, VA Hospital, 1100 Tunnel Rd., Asheville, NC 28805.

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