Airport terminal dedicated in honor of George Futrelle

KENANSVILLE — Last Tuesday marked an incredibly special milestone for Duplin County as more than 60 distinguished guests, including local, regional and state leadership gathered at the Duplin County Airport to celebrate the memory and legacy of George Futrelle, the former airport director and assistant county manager who died in May 2023 after post-surgical complications.

The ceremony marked a special occasion for the county and for the Futrelle family, who were honored with the unveiling of Duplin County Airport’s George Futrelle Terminal.

Sally Futrelle Gillis, Futrelle’s mother, told Duplin Journal the dedication meant a lot to her, and she just wished George were here to help with the celebration.

“This was his whole life,” said Sally, about the airport. “He came here at the very beginning when they had just a little trailer and a short runway, and so, he saw this go from that to this and this is a great day to celebrate.”

Futrelle’s wife, Renee P. Futrelle, echoed the sentiment.

“It means the world. He would not think that he was worthy,” Renee told Duplin Journal. “I think you agree, and we all know that this airport is what it is mostly because of him. He loved this place.”

Renee spoke about Futrelle’s love for the airport, and his desire to make it the best it could be.

“He knew every blade of grass on this place,” said Renee with a smile, reminiscing how he considered every detail about the airport, from the grass blade length to how it compared to other airports and after each trip he was ready to come back and make the airport even better.

The ceremony began with a speech from County Manager Bryan Miller, who spoke about Futrelle’s dedication and forward-thinking.

“George not only advanced our airport standing in the aviation community but also inspired countless individuals with his gentle but unwavering commitment to excellence,” said Miller as he welcomed guests.

“Your presence here stands as a testament to the profound impact George had on so many lives… Let this place be a beacon of excellence, a hub of connection and a symbol of the tireless effort George brought to Duplin County.”

Mayor A.J Connors spoke about Futrelle’s gift to touch hearts, reflecting on his accomplishments and his strong faith. He was followed by Jack Alphin, Duplin County Airport Commission chair, and pilot. Alphin reminisced about the airport’s early days and the first time he landed at the Duplin airport, describing it as a two-lane road. “There wasn’t much to it… not a telephone site or a building at that time.”

Futrelle began his career at the Duplin airport in 1989, leaving for about a year, following his dream of working at a large airport. “He left us and went to Raleigh, Durham… we hated to see George leave because we loved him and he did a great job here, but that was the best investment that this airport ever made, and probably that this county ever made,” said Alphin about letting Futrelle pursue that dream.

“He went to Raleigh, Durham and became operations officer and one of George’s proudest accomplishments in that year was he coordinated the visit of President Bill Clinton. He had a picture forever in his office of Air Force One sitting on the tarmac at Raleigh, Durham and he coordinated all that with the Secret Service. …. George would always talk about that and how proud he was that he was able to have that project. … After a year, we had a different FBO operative, and it became obvious that we needed George back,” said Alphin. “So, a group of folks that were at the airport got together and talked about what we had to do to get George back.”

Alphin shared that the year working at the Durham airport gave Futrelle a lot of experience.

“George always had the ability to get the money, to get the plans together to be able to be ready when the opportunity came for expansion. There’s been a lot of growth here under George’s leadership,” said Alphin as he spoke about the airport’s infrastructure and the changes it has experienced in the last 30 years.

“George was a leader in the aviation community. He was a legend in the aviation administration business,” Alphin added.

Commissioner Dexter Edwards as well as Rep. Jimmy Dixon, held back tears as they spoke about Futrelle. The late airport director was a tower of strength for many in the community, including Edwards, who shared how Futrelle helped him shortly before undergoing the surgery that led to his untimely passing.

“He called me and talked me through all the preparations for my surgery… and checked on me through my surgery. George was just a blessing to everybody. This county will never be the same,” said Edwards, as his eyes welled up.

“God let George do what George did for Duplin County for you guys, for his church, but God needed his help and he brought him home to help him up there.”

Edwards concluded his speech with the unveiling of the plaque that will be permanently displayed at the George Futrelle Terminal.

Rep. Jimmy Dixon was next to speak, sharing he felt honored to be there in a heartfelt speech.

“Every now and then in this life, if we are very fortunate, we cross paths with someone who really makes a difference and my association with George accounted as one of those special opportunities in this life – to meet a person who really made a difference,” said Rep. Dixon.

“He understood the importance of livestock – that was a key to his success… I’m bold to say that if it weren’t for livestock this building would not be here, so we owe a debt of gratitude,” said Dixon, with a long pause trying not to get choked up, “to our hard-working family farms that he understood, and maximized, in a magnificent way with what he did here.”

After a touching speech that left several in tears, he humored guests and had everyone laughing, joking that somebody forgot something that should’ve been part of the celebration – pork chops.

“There should have been a grill sitting over there – upwind on us and we should smell that pork chop coming this way,” he joked, reminiscing of Futrelle’s hospitality and his one-of-a-kind pork chops – something he was also known for.

Sam Shumate, southeast regional director for Senator Ted Budd, was also part of the ceremony, presenting a flag to the Futrelle family.

“Senator Budd has had a long-standing policy of reserving these for individuals or entities that go above and beyond to make a positive difference in their community. Each year, over 100,000 of these are requested by different members of Congress to be flown over the Capitol. This is the first one I’ve done in a year and a half that he has requested for any individual or entity in Duplin County, so it is extremely special,” said Shumate.

Joshua Raynor, Duplin County Airport Director, who worked under Futrelle’s wing for nearly a decade, spoke about Futrelle’s leadership.

“He was always a constant source of solid advice and guidance. He guided me more than a few times through uncertain times. He was passionate about the airport and believed with all his heart of what an asset it was to the county and to the community. I had the privilege of working with him for almost 10 years at this airport, and I learned so much from him,” said Raynor.

After his speech, Raynor invited Futrelle’s daughters Samantha Futrelle Lee and Meredith Futrelle, to bring their dad’s photograph to the vestibule where it will be permanently displayed. The ceremony concluded with a reception inside the terminal. Beautiful flowers and lush ferns decorated the terminal as guests mingled, sharing memories and honoring the lasting impact of Futrelle’s life and legacy.

To view more photos of the event visit our Facebook page photo gallery.