R. David and Martha “Marty” Harrison Tilley of Kannapolis celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 1, 2013. The couple celebrated with a U.S. cross-country road trip. They left home on May 7 and returned June 16, spending their anniversary in Las Vegas, Nev. Traveling throughout 16 states, they logged 8,800 miles, stating this was the trip of a lifetime. After traveling extensively in Europe, as well as many stateside locations while serving in the U.S. Army for over 23 years, they decided this was the “golden” opportunity to visit many of the beautiful and historic U.S. sites they had not yet seen.
David entered the U.S. Army upon graduation from A.L. Brown High School in 1962. He and Marty were high school sweethearts and married immediately after she graduated in 1963. A military career followed. After retiring as a Sergeant Major in 1985, David worked in civil service for the Department of the Navy for 10 years. Upon returning home to Kannapolis, he became a Realtor at Bentley Realty Inc. before retiring in 2005. Marty also worked many years in civil service with the Department of the Navy and Army. She retired in 2004 from local property management.
The Tilleys’ children are son Colonel Eric D. Tilley (U.S. Army) and wife Angela of Camp Zama, Japan, and daughter Lisa T. Carter and husband Russ of Concord. Their grandchildren are Jennifer and Matthew Tilley and Ashley, Megan and Samantha Carter.
David and Marty were married June 1, 1963, at their current church, Franklin Heights Baptist in Kannapolis, N.C., by the Rev. Dalton Carrington.