By JAYMIE BAXLEY, Insider Reporter
Louis Gregory, who served for six years on the Moore County Board of Commissioners following a long career in law enforcement, passed away on Saturday, March 5. He was 77.
Gregory, who lived in Seven Lakes West, was first elected to the board in 2016 and won re-election in 2020. He represented District 2, which includes Pinehurst, Seven Lakes, Taylortown and the majority of the Eastwood precinct.
“Louis was the true definition of a gentleman,” said Commissioner Catherine Graham, who served alongside Gregory on the board. “He had the willingness and ability to listen to someone else and to respect their opinion, and that’s something that I think people are losing now in our society.”
Citing health issues, Gregory announced in February that he was stepping down as commissioner with more than two years left in his second term.
“For 60 years now I have done my best to protect and serve the public, often at the sacrifice of my family and myself,” he wrote in a statement at the time. “I find my health is such that I should listen to my doctors and rest to get well. I tried to avoid doing as my doctor suggested, but now I know they are right.
“I believe one who is elected to be a commissioner should be at 100 percent. I am unable to do that at the present and I have been told treatment and rest will take several months. I do not think it right for me to be absent for that length of time. Therefore, I am advising I will be medically retiring.”
Gregory served as the commissioners’ liaison to the Moore County Board of Health, advocating for increased transparency and better communication with the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also represented the commissioners on the Transportation Advisory Board and the board of directors for Partners in Progress.
He was “somebody you could always talk to,” said state Rep. Jamie Boles.
“Louis was a compassionate person and he cared about every citizen of Moore County,” Boles said in a phone interview. “He always wanted to learn about the issues to be sure he was doing the right thing.”
A graduate of the University of South Carolina and a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Gregory worked in law enforcement before becoming a county commissioner. He was a special agent with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad’s police agency and served on the FBI’s Anti-Terrorism Task Force in the aftermath of 9/11.
After moving to Moore County in 2003, Gregory was named chief of the Whispering Pines Police Department, a position he held for six years.
“He set a great standard for the police department,” said Bob Zschoche, who was a village councilman and mayor during Gregory’s time in Whispering Pines. “One of the reasons our crime rate is so low is because we’ve got an outstanding police force. Louis was police chief for a number of years and he did a great job at setting a high standard (for the agency) and getting good guys.”
His eye for talent would influence the department for years to come. Jason Graham, the current chief of police, was first hired as a patrol officer by Gregory.
“He was kind of a gentle giant,” said Graham, who is not related to Commissioner Catherine Graham. “Louis was a man of few words but when he spoke, you listened. He drew you in.”
Nick Picerno, who previously served two terms as a county commissioner, was appointed on March 2 to fill Gregory’s vacant seat on the board until at least November, when an election will be held for the remainder of the late commissioner’s term.
Jaymie Baxley can be reached at (910) 693-2484 or jaymie@thepilot.com
