Ted Lilly Memorial Porcelain Tile Mural – Custom Outdoor Tiles | Oakboro NC

Oakboro’s Ambassador – Theodore “Ted” Roosevelt Lilly Jr.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” — Matthew 5:5

Ted Lilly smiling in a yellow safety vest – original portrait used for his porcelain memorial mural

A life poured out in kindness

Ted Lilly wasn’t listed on any payroll, but for more than three decades he clocked in every morning at 8:30 a.m. and went to work—encouraging the people of Oakboro, North Carolina. Rain or shine, dialysis or no dialysis, he walked the same Main‑Street loop in his bright yellow safety vest, greeting every soul he met. If he missed a cashier or clerk on his first pass, he’d circle back so no one felt left out. He picked up stray carts at Food Lion, toted grocery bags for seniors, carried a plastic bag to pick up trash he found, held doors, and disarmed the grumpiest customer with a fist‑bump, a grin, and a gentle “I love you.” In a world obsessed with hurry, Ted chose to linger, to see, to serve.

The Heart of Oakboro, North Carolina

  • Born ≈ 1955  •  Passed October 19 2021
  • Lifelong resident of Oakboro, Stanly County, North Carolina
  • No surviving immediate family — Oakboro quite literally became his family
  • Brief stint at Stanly Knitting Mills; afterwards devoted each day to unpaid “ambassador” duties
  • End‑stage kidney failure (dialysis three times a week) & diabetes couldn’t slow his daily rounds
  • Mild intellectual disability — townspeople cherished his child‑like joy and honesty
  • Nicknamed the “Town Ambassador,” a title Police Chief T.J. Smith proudly placed on his patrol car
  • Loved by every shop‑owner, cashier, first‑responder, and child who crossed his path

Sources: Stanly News & Press (Nov 8 2021), WBTV Charlotte (Oct 24 2021), U.S. Congressional Record (Nov 16 2021)

“He personified what we as people should be.” — Chief T.J. Smith

Saying Goodbye, Keeping the Light

On the afternoon of October 19 2021, Ted finished his rounds and collapsed on the walk home. The town he loved lined Main Street for his final ride, and mourners filled the Oakboro Fairgrounds to say farewell. He was laid to rest in Oakboro City Cemetery, 1397 North Main Street, in a front‑row plot facing the very highway he’d patrolled with a smile for three decades.

Grief soon turned to gratitude. Oakboro’s leaders resolved to give Ted a permanent voice, and they entrusted PicturedTile.com to fire his legacy into porcelain. The result: a weather‑tight mural that greets every passer‑by just as Ted once did.

The Mural

  • Three kiln‑fired porcelain tiles — 12″ × 18″ each
  • UV‑proof glaze rated for decades of Carolina sun and rain
  • Overall size: 36″ × 18″ (commanding yet walk‑up friendly)
  • Installed at Ted’s gravesite in Oakboro City Cemetery — mounted directly on his granite headstone fronting NC‑205/Main Street so he still ‘greets’ every passer‑by
  • Vibrant full‑color central portrait flanked by scenes of Ted’s daily route
Three kiln‑fired porcelain tiles forming a full‑color mural of Ted Lilly, mounted on his granite headstone at Oakboro City Cemetery
Three 12″×18″ tiles joined to form a 36″×18″, full‑color mural—fired at 2000 °F and permanently mounted on Ted’s granite headstone.

Find It on the Map

directions to Oakboro City Cemetery on Google Maps

Carry the Light Forward

If a loved one’s story deserves to shine as brightly as Ted’s, we can help preserve it in kiln‑fired porcelain.

See more memorial headstone tiles  |  Explore our outdoor porcelain tiles

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.” — Matthew 25:40

“The generous soul will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” — Proverbs 11:25

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