Town Loses Another Icon

Kernersville suffered yet another heartbreaking loss this weekend with the Saturday passing of Dr. Charles Record, who along with his late father, Dr. Leo Record, served patients throughout the community for more than half a century.
Record passed away surrounded by family and friends after battling central nervous system lymphoma. He was 58-years-old.
The outpouring of grief and sympathy was immediate among the online community, where family, lifelong friends, associates and community members not only mourned Record but celebrated a life that had been filled with love, compassion for others and laughter.
“In less than (six) months, Kernersville has lost two wonderful physicians, Dr. Leo Record and his son, Dr. Charles Record. For a family and a town, this is a loss that is hard to endure. We, as a loving town, give thanks for the lives that these two men have touched and, in some cases, saved. They will be missed … and never lost in our memory,” wrote Kernersville Alderman and Mayor Pro Tem Joe Pinnix.
Dr. Leo Record passed away this past June 11.
Dotty Hoots, a retired English teacher at Kernersville Wesleyan Academy and then late Wesleyan Christian Academy, also commented online.
“Charles was such a tremendous person! He contributed so much to this world!” Hoots wrote in a message about Record.
Hundreds more left their condolences and shared memories of Record on the pages of the popular physician’s loved ones. To many, he was more than just their doctor, but a friend and one whose smile and hugs will be missed.
“We all loved Charles and his big hugs and smile,” wrote one person.
Another wrote, “He was my doctor but also my friend.”
One of the most poignant sentiments about Record came from his brother, Glenn Record, who posted a lengthy tribute to Record and what it had meant to him to be such a larger-than-life figure’s younger sibling.
“I looked up to him,” Glenn told the Kernersville News on Monday, adding that he hoped he had told his brother enough just how much, because although Record had been first diagnosed with cancer in 2017, no one expected his passing on Saturday to come as quickly as it did, if at all.
Record retired after more than 27 years as a physician from Novant Health Kernersville Family Medicine in June 2017. His father and uncle, Dr. Wesley Phillips, founded the practice more than 50 years before, and Record joined them in 1989.
Record cited medical reasons for his decision to retire early, but he still hoped to be involved in the medical community, “to make sure the people of Kernersville are cared for,” Record said at the time. Glenn Record said his brother had not yet been diagnosed with cancer when he retired, but was experiencing symptoms that would lead to that diagnosis later.
In addition to caring for patients at Novant Health Kernersville Family Medicine and serving as the medical director of the practice for more than 10 years, Record had a significant role in making sure Novant Health Kernersville Medical Center came to fruition, serving on the groundbreaking committee and as the hospital’s first medical director.
Record received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky, and went on to receive his medical degree from Wake Forest University’s Bowman Gray School of Medicine. He completed his residency in family medicine at Carraway Methodist Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
During his time in medical school, Dr. Charles Record met his wife, Kristi, on a blind date. Two months later in June 1986, they were engaged and married in February 1987. The couple has two grown children – daughter Carmen and son Brooks.
When Novant Health Kernersville Family Practice celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this year, Record spoke about what he had enjoyed most about being a part of such a long-standing Kernersville institution.
“Taking care of my past teachers and the mentors I had growing up and taking care of the community, that’s what I have enjoyed,” he said.
When asked to say a few words about his brother, Glenn said this, “I know two things for certain. Charles was a big personality and he was loud. Even when he was whispering, he was loud and you always knew when he was in the room. He loved talking and he loved Kristi.”
In addition to his wife, Record is survived by his mother, Marietta Record; daughter Carmen Moody and husband Jonathan; son Brooks Record and wife Amanda; sister Anita Baugham and husband Bud; brother Glenn Record and wife Julia; brother-in-law Tim Reid and wife Donna; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, Dec. 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Pierce-Jefferson Funeral Services. A funeral service will be held Thursday, Dec. 6 at 11 a.m. at Kernersville Wesleyan Church.