Roger William Dalton Jr. has been posthumously awarded The Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Governor Pat McCrory.
The Order, which is one of the highest honors North Carolina's governor can bestow upon a citizen, is awarded to those who have a proven record of 30 or more years of service to their communities or the state or in recognition of other special achievements.
Dalton, who died in April, was a longtime Halifax County businessman and community leader.
(A PDF of the Order is attached at the end of this story)
He served on the Halifax County Board of Commissioners, the Halifax Community College Board of Trustees, as vice chairman of the Halifax County Economic Development Commission, as a charter member of Halifax County Business Horizons, as vice chairman of the Halifax Tourism Development Authority, as a two-term president of the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce, as president of the Weldon Business Bureau, and in numerous other leadership positions.
Dalton was the husband of Edna Dalton of Roanoke Rapids, the father of Jeffrey Dalton, whose wife is Alex, of Raleigh and Stan Dalton , whose wife is Kathy Jewell, of Roanoke Rapids, and the son of Louise Lupton of New Bern.
“The family would like to thank Governor Pat McCrory's office for this honor,” his son, Jeff, said in a statement.