Boddie-Noell Enterprises, Inc. | January 2012
the LIFE... the LEGACY
Nicholas Bunn Boddie, Jr.
Letter from Mayo Nick and I grew up along with our sister, Lucy Ann, who was a year younger than me. We were raised in a very loving home, but financially very poor. However, this never bothered us because most everyone was in the same boat. This was during the Depression era of the 1930’s and early ‘40’s.
and fortune, but always took a backseat to recognition. Nick had a heart of gold and was always willing to help someone in need. Other than bickering over items of no consequence when we were young, Nick and I had a great relationship and in our 50 years of Hardee’s, never had any arguments - maybe a 5 or 10 minute disagreement and then it was over.
Mayo, Nick and Lucy Ann Boddie, circa 1937. As we moved along in grammar and high school, Nick always seemed to play a role of leadership with his group of buddies. During this time, Nick and I were not overly close, being 2 ½ years older put him in much more of a status position. In other words, I didn’t fit in with his group. I did, however, substitute for Nick on his paper route at 25¢ a day and I was in his Boy Scout patrol. We spent many good times together especially in the Scouts. Nick was in love with the outdoors and golf was his number one game. He enjoyed working, loading bales of hay, digging ditches, cutting grass, etc. His farm was his haven and his horses were his delight. The Boy Scouts of eastern North Carolina were truly his passion and he received many honors of which he was most worthy. Nick always had a girl and a good looking one at that. I was very proud of him. He regularly had a job, either a paper route or at the grocery store. He also lifeguarded at Virginia Beach for a couple of years and never went out for anybody unless it was a good looking girl. In addition, he worked at our aunt’s hotel in Virginia Beach and later bought an interest in it. In March of 1961, our uncle, Carleton Noell, Nick and I opened a motel and restaurant, The Carleton House, in Rocky Mount. At about the same time, in June of 1961, the opportunity to buy a franchise for Hardee’s was available. Nick and our aunt sold their hotel in Virginia Beach and Nick assumed the responsibility of operating The Carleton House and I was responsible for Hardee’s. Later as Hardee’s began to grow, Nick became actively involved. Since Nick’s passing, everyone has complimented on what a gentleman he was, and they are certainly right. He was not a man of fame 1
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ENTERPRISER Nick Boddie 2012
Nick was very blessed during his lifetime to have had such loving and caring parents, a lovely wife of 57 years, two devoted daughters, a son, and five grandchildren. He was also very fortunate to have been involved in a successful business for 50 years and blessed with so many people that made it happen. I consider myself blessed to have had a brother that I loved and respected so much, and to have had him for 82 years. Mayo Boddie Sr.
This is my creed, I believe in one God, creator of the universe. That He governs it by His providence. That the most acceptable service we render Him is doing good to His other children. That the soul of man is immortal and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this. – Benjamin Franklin
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letter from mayo
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memories from mike hancock
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the story / timeline of nick’s life
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“I consider myself blessed to have had a brother that I loved and respected so much, and to have had him for 82 years.” - Mayo Boddie
“He encouraged all around him to do things well because our customers noticed and cared.” - Mike Hancock
There are a few times in your life when you have the opportunity to meet those special people . . . the ones who quietly go about their life making the lives of all those around them better, and doing so without bringing attention to themselves. Nick was such a man.
awards & recognitions
In Loving Memory of Nicholas Bunn Boddie, Jr.
As Nick Boddie’s life began to accumulate decades, the sum of his character began to gain even more momentum. His walls became covered with honors and awards as the world took note of, and recognized a truly noble gentleman.
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Memories from Mike “Every horse is good for something!” I first met Nick in 1970. His daughters, his son and I were showing Quarter Horses together. Nick got their horses ready and Betsy, his wife, dressed the girls! It was easy to see his love of his family and his horses. Early on, I made the mistake many others have made. I mispronounced his last name…..but only once! As time went on, Bryan, his oldest daughter, and I started dating. We were married in 1973. A good part of our lives have been tied to the horse industry ever since. Nick and I spent quite a bit of time traveling together to horse shows and working together at Bryanna Farm. I remember him saying, “Every horse is good for something.” Since there are many different events in which a horse can be shown, you had to find the event that fit each horse the best. Or if you wanted to compete in a particular type of event, you better find the horse that was best suited for that event. Find what they are good at, treat the horses well, give them the necessary training and let them excel in using their own abilities. We were fortunate to have almost 40 years of great success both breeding and showing some very good horses with that philosophy. Nick riding with his granddaughters. Once I joined BNE, I was able to spend even more time with Nick. I observed his attention to detail and desire to have things right. Whether it was the landscaping, picking up trash on the lot or customer service, he always was trying to do it better. He encouraged all around him to do things well because our customers noticed and cared. I watched him around the people of BNE. He was always willing to give anyone a chance to prove themselves. There are countless people right out of high school or from other careers that were given
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ENTERPRISER Nick Boddie 2012
Nick in the middle with, from the left, Catherine, Bryan, Mike and Rebekah Hancock the opportunity to succeed. He was also more than willing to help others that were truly in need. I am sure we all know individuals that he helped, but there are many more that we will never know.
Find what they are good at, treat the horses well, give them the necessary training and let them excel in using their own abilities. - Nick Boddie
When I think back on his statement about every horse being good for something, I realize that he did not limit that to horses. One of Nick’s greatest gifts was knowing that every person is good for something. He believed that all most of us need is an opportunity, some direction and a little encouragement. Nick, from me and all the countless others that you gave an opportunity, thank you! Mike Hancock
Nicholas Bunn Boddie, Jr. There are a few times in your life when you have the opportunity to meet those special people . . . the ones who quietly go about their life making the lives of all those around them better, and doing so without bringing attention to themselves. We are lucky to meet them, even luckier if we get to know them, and indeed very fortunate if we are privileged enough to get to work with them as part of a family business. Nicholas Bunn Boddie Jr., or as we all knew him, “Nick,” was such a man. As a co-founder of Boddie-Noell Enterprises he was an integral part of building a family business of over 12,500 people. And a family it is. Over the fifty year history of Boddie-Noell, and with all the people who have come and gone, it would be impossible to put a number on the lives Nick touched. And that is only the people of Boddie-Noell. When you think of all the people who were blessed to meet, to know,
or be the recipient of one of the many kind deeds Nick initiated throughout his 84 years… the number would be staggering. Few have such an impact on so many. How do you capture in one story the life of such an extraordinary individual? You don’t. So much of Nick’s life was about caring for others, about giving in more ways than most could ever imagine. It was about family, about love, about character, about friendship and support. So much of it was about feelings, about things that are not easily captured in the written word. For those who knew Nick, you don’t need the words. For those who did not, there are not enough words. What we can do, to all those who read this, is to offer a glimpse of the life, of the journey, of the legacy left by a true gentleman, a genuine, kind, and caring person. Let’s travel together as we celebrate the life of our special friend… It starts at Rose Hill, a family farm in Nash County, North Carolina that had been in the family since the mid 1700’s…. - Larry Williamson
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When Nick was about six or seven years old, he and his family left Rose Hill on the back of a borrowed, flatbed truck. It was an all too familiar scene at the time. The Depression had claimed another family farm. It’s a pretty significant thing to be carried off to the unknown at the age of six. But there he was, sitting with his brother and the rest of his family, watching the only home he had ever known fade into the dust. The future was unsure at best for a young boy leaving his childhood home behind on the back of a truck, surrounded by all of the worldly possessions his family had left. There was no way to know, at that point, if his story would have a happy ending. There was more than furniture riding away with Nick on the truck that day. There was also an ingrained belief in hard work and a commitment to moving forward. Another thing that rode away from Rose Hill on the truck that day was a deep and uncommon generosity – a desire to help those in need, whoever they may be, wherever they may be. Nick and his brother Mayo credit their parents for this gift, especially their mother, who taught them that any measure of success creates an obligation to give something back. This was a lesson learned and applied early. For instance, when a neighbor burned his arms in an accident, Nick and Mayo’s mother sent them, each week until he healed, to cut his grass and clean his yard. It was like love and generosity were being poured into them, pressed down and shaken, until that generosity couldn’t help but spill out of them. - taken from memorial service by Rev. Peter Bynum, First Presbyterian Church, Rocky Mount, NC
1944: In his early years Nick was
outgoing, even then a leader among his peers. He was a Patrol Leader in his Boy Scout troop and enjoyed playing football. The lessons of hard work and commitment surely had an impact on Nick as he grew. This was evidenced as he rode his bicycle delivering papers After high school Nick and was surely attended the University of North Carolina a contributing factor as he went on to earn, at Chapel Hill. From there, with an adventurein 1944, the rank of Eagle Scout. No some spirit he left for Alaska in 1949 where he one was to know the impact this was spent close to a year laying railroad ties and working to have on Nick, or the impact in the gold mines. After his Alaska this would have on Nick in his adventure Nick returned home and future support of the Boy in 1950 went to work for his aunt, Annie Scouts, an organization Lou, at a hotel, the Homestead, that she that continued to and other ladies had opened in 1940 in mean so much to Virginia Beach, Va. Here Nick worked as a him. lifeguard, a desk clerk, and doing whatever else he was asked to do. Eventually Nick was to become a partner in the Homestead and things continued to get better.
1949:
1952: Nick met Betsy Bunting of Nashville, NC. while working in Virginia Beach, and in 1952 he married the love of his life.
ENTERPRISER Nick Boddie 2012 • 6
1961: The Homestead was sold and Nick returned to Rocky Mount. With the
encouragement of his aunt, Annie Lou, Nick and Mayo joined with their uncle, the late W. Carleton Noell (Annie Lou’s husband) to enter together into business with the opening of the Carleton House Hotel and Restaurant in 1961. Little did anyone realize, the Carleton House was just the beginning. Within the year Mr. Noell, Mayo and Nick formed Boddie-Noell Enterprises and in June 1961 purchased their first Hardee’s franchise. An office was opened at the Carleton House Hotel and the first Boddie-Noell Hardee’s was opened in January 1962 in Fayetteville, NC. Nick continued his work at the Carleton House until he joined Boddie-Noell full time in 1968. During these years Nick continued to develop and pursue other outside interests. He loved golf and was never shy about finding the time to play a few rounds. He also loved hard work and there are many who will tell you he worked with the intensity few cared to try and match.
1966: A love of the land and his enjoyment of
physical labor may have been influences in Nick purchasing a 30 acre farm outside of Rocky Mount in 1966. Initially there was only an old farm house on the land and the family enjoyed spending time there in the summers. It was not long after the family decided to create a home on the farm. In 1972, construction of their dream home was started at “Bryanna,” as the farm was now Any discussion of the journey in the life of Nick Boddie called, a name would not be complete without talking about his love of animals. Dogs, created from cats, ducks, they all found a a combination of their two daughters, sanctuary and easy life at Bryanna. Bryan and Anne. The family moved And the horses… anyone who knew Nick into their new home in 1974 and knows that horses became an important and new chapter was started. time consuming part of his life, but few know
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how this passion got started. Betsy says that each year the girls would ask for a pony for Christmas, and each year, while they liked what they received, there was no pony. Finally, she says, Nick decided to get them a pony and brought one home. It wasn’t long, she says, before Nick decided they needed a second pony, one for each girl. It was during this trip for the second pony that Nick found a horse that had suffered mistreatment and, you guessed it, Nick brought the horse home too. With a pony for each daughter and a horse for Nick, now Betsy decided that she too wanted her own horse. Now they were boarding two horses and two ponies. It was during this time that Nick told Betsy they either needed to get out of the horse business or get in to it deeper. Soon, breeding and showing horses became a family pursuit. Throughout the remainder of Nick’s life, his love of horses continued to grow, as did his number of horses, reaching at times upwards of 30 to 40 head. 7
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ENTERPRISER Nick Boddie 2012
1989:
Nick continued to pursue his other interests as well. In 1989, he combined two of his passions when he founded the Hardee’s BSA Classic Golf Tournament to benefit the East Carolina Council Boy Scouts of America. Held every year since, this event has created a stable financial base for an organization that he and his brother Mayo demonstrated a deep dedication to all their lives. By the time of Nick’s passing, the golf tournament had raised close to three million dollars. Nick’s impact on Scouting continues.
2010: In 2010 Nick very well may have received
an honor that meant as much to him as any other, when the Boy Scout Camp, Camp Bonner, became Camp Boddie in honor of Nick and his brother Mayo. Now along the fertile banks of the Pamlico River, on 800 acres of North Carolina wilderness, the values that meant so much to Nick Boddie will continue to be taught and cherished at a place that bears may be the one overarching his family’s word that gives us a way to understand and honor name. Many individuals’ life journeys will be shaped by this the life of Nicholas Bunn Boddie, place, now, and long into the future. Jr. After his death, his brother Mayo
Generosity
lovingly remembered out loud to those around him, “Nick would give you the shirt off his back if you asked him, and mine too if I didn’t watch him.” At Nick’s memorial service the Reverend Peter Bynum reminded the congregation of Nick Boddie’s decades of unsung, quiet generosity.
For the friends Nick Boddie touched along the way, our life journeys have already been forever altered by knowing him, by working with him, and by loving him.
“Who can count how many Scouts went to camp, how many employees got help, how many bad transmissions were fixed, how many free meals were served by the boundless generosity of Nick Boddie? Long ago, the family just quit trying to count.” Nick was indeed a generous man, a kind soul, and a loving spirit. He touched more lives than any of us will ever know. That is the kind of man he was, doing for others while never drawing attention to himself. To his family: Betsy his wife, daughters Bryan Boddie Hancock and husband Mike, Anne Boddie Mosley and husband Michael, son Mac McInnis and wife Mary Kay, and grandchildren Catherine and Rebekah Hancock, Nicholas and Suzanna Mosley, and Ryan McInnis, we thank you for sharing with us the life and love of an amazing gentleman.
Our lives will never be the same. ENTERPRISER Nick Boddie 2012 • 8
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Nicholas Bunn Boddie, Jr. noble gentleman Recognizing a truly As Nick Boddie’s life began to accumulate decades, the sum of his character began to gain even more momentum. His walls became covered with honors and awards as the world took note of, and recognized a truly noble gentleman.
Nick Boddie was a past board member of the Futrell-Mauldin Community Fund Board, Lees McRae College, Virginia Special Olympics, First Union National Bank, Boys and Girls Home of North Carolina at Lake Waccamaw, NC, American Lung Association and Elder/Past Deacon of First Presbyterian Church in Rocky Mount. Nick was a founding Board Member of Rocky Mount Boys & Girls Club and a Charter Member of The Breakfast Optimist Club in Rocky Mount.
1989: Founded the Hardee’s BSA Classic Golf
Tournament to benefit the East Carolina Council Boy Scouts of America
1989: Received the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts
1991: Named President of the East
Carolina Council, Boy Scouts of America and was an active member of their board for many years
1991: Inducted into the North Carolina Quarter Horse Hall of Fame.
1991: Honored as the East Carolina Council Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen for the Tar River District
1992: Awarded the Distinguished Eagle Award by the Boy Scouts of America
1992: Named Distinguished Citizen of the
Year by the Rocky Mount Chamber of Commerce
1994: Received the Tiffany Award from the National American Diabetes Association for his outstanding contributions to the American Diabetes Association
2000: Received the Silver Antelope award
from the Boy Scouts of America for his distinguished service to the program – the highest regional-level distinguishment.
2000: Received the NC Restaurateur of the
Year Award that is presented by the NC Restaurant Association
2001: Received the God and Country award from the East Carolina Council Boy Scouts
2006: Inducted into the Twin County Hall of Fame
2010:
Camp Bonner, a Boy Scout camping facility located on the Pamlico River, was renamed Camp Boddie in honor of Nick and his brother, Mayo, for their loyal support and dedication to the Boy Scouts of America ENTERPRISER Nick Boddie 2012 • 10
Nicholas Bunn Boddie, Jr. July 8, 1927 - December 2, 2011
A Life A Legacy of:
Faith Kindness Compassion
Values
Growth Success
Love Generosity FamilY
---- We will miss you greatly ----