Paul Lestrade Gilbert Jr., 86, died at home surrounded by his family on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
He was born on March 28, 1940, in Statesville, N.C., and was the son of the late Paul Lestrade Gilbert of Statesville and Madeline Simpson Gilbert of Madison. He graduated from Oak Ridge Military Academy and N.C. State University.
Paul is survived by his wife, Mary Long Gilbert, and his two daughters, Allison Gilbert Holmes (Tom), and Madeline Simpson Gilbert. He is also survived by his two grandsons, James Wooten Holmes and Stuart McKenzie Holmes; as well as his two siblings, Victor Neely Gilbert and Betty Lynn Gilbert Lambert.
Paul was known for being a Southern gentleman. He was quiet, thoughtful and kind, but he was also strong in his beliefs. He was generous in giving of his time to others through mentoring and outreach programs.
After graduating, Paul returned to Statesville to work for his father’s company, Tarheel Construction. He started working from the ground up with Tarheel at age 13. He found his strength was in bidding on jobs. Tarheel was bought out by Rea Construction Company, and Paul went to work for them. In 1970, he and his family moved to Raleigh, N.C., where he ran the Raleigh and Eastern NC division, becoming a vice president for Rea. In 1976, he won a national award for the repaving of the Raleigh-Durham Airport. It was a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week job, which ended with a bonus awarded for finishing the job earlier than quoted.
In 1980, he moved back to Statesville. He started MFS, a Statesville company that built, managed, and leased properties. The company’s name changed over the years.
Paul was a member of First Presbyterian Church, where he was a deacon, an elder, and in charge of the Properties Committee for many years. Additionally, he was a member and president of the Young Men’s Bible Class.
He was a member of the Statesville Rotary Club and served as its president. He was honored with the Paul Harris Fellow. He also served as chairman of the Downtown Statesville Development Corporation. He was on the Board of Directors for the Greater Statesville Chamber of Commerce, and he served 18 years on the Statesville Planning and Zoning Board.
Outside of his family, one of Paul’s greatest loves was hunting. He and his brother, Victor, would often travel to Arkansas or the Dakotas to hunt ducks, geese and pheasants. Later in life, Paul learned to fly fish, and it became one of his new passions. One of his first instructors was Simons Bryan Welter, the daughter of his good friends here in Statesville, Chandler and Peggy Bryan.
The family is thankful to Hospice and to the people who cared for him, Priscilla Smith and Ally Boccard.
A memorial Service will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, at First Presbyterian Church of Statesville, followed by a reception in the Fellowship Room at the church. There will be a private family burial at Oakwood Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Iredell County or to First Presbyterian Church of Statesville.
Arrangements for Mr. Gilbert are in the care of Troutman Funeral Home.