Cecil Ward Bland III

Elon – Cecil Ward Bland III, 62, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at his home surrounded by his loving family. He was born on November 22, 1963 in Alamance County to the late Virginia Jeanette Ward Bland and Cecil Ward Bland, Jr. who survives, and was the husband to Linda Lee Davis Bland of the home.

Cecil was a faithful member of Powerline Nazarene Church and worked as a lifelong truck driver for 36 years, until July. The last company he drove for over 13 years was Carolina Chem Strip. While he enjoyed driving a truck and life on the road, his true passion was returning home to his family. After the birth of his grandchildren, he stepped away from long hauls to ensure he never missed precious moments with them. In his spare time, he enjoyed fishing, hunting, and farming. Above all else, Cecil’s proudest accomplishment was his family.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 41 years, Linda Davis Bland; his loving daughters, Heather Gwynn and her husband Justin, and Jennifer Foster and her husband Josh; his grandchildren that he adored, Elle Mae Gwynn, Allison Gwynn, Rylee Ann Gwynn, Jesse Foster and Jackie Foster; his supportive father, Cecil Ward Bland, Jr; his sister, Cynthia Carter and her husband Jasper; and his nieces and nephews. Cecil has now been reunited with his mother, Virginia Ward Bland and his brother, Samuel Bland that had preceded him in death.

The funeral service to celebrate the life of Cecil will be held at 2:00pm Saturday, October 3, 2026 at Lowe Funeral Home Chapel by Rev. Jerry Gardner. The family will receive friends from 6pm to 8pm Friday evening at the funeral home and other times at the residence.

Memorials may be made to Powerline Nazarene Church, 701 Manning Ave., Elon, NC 27244 or to AuthoraCare Hospice, 914 Chapel Hill Road, Burlington, NC 27215.