Former Raleigh City Manager L.P. Zachary Dies

Prepared by and for more information: Public Affairs Department, 919-996-3100

June 5, 2013

 

Former Raleigh City Manager L.P. Zachary Dies

Former Raleigh City Manager Lawrence P. Zachary died today at Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community. He was 91. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Pat, and daughter Catherine Calloway. He was predeceased by his son, Lawrence Fetzer Zachary.

Mr. Zachary came to the City of Raleigh in October 1968 as Assistant City Manager of Operations. He took the reins as City Manager in November 1973.

At that time the City had a population of 131,056, covered 47.132 square miles and 1400 employees. Upon his retirement in December 1983, Raleigh’s population was 167,703 and covered 61.837 square miles. That is a population increase of nearly 28 percent in a decade.

"I want to offer my condolences to the family of L.P. Zachary. I was very sorry to hear of his passing this morning,” Mayor Nancy McFarlane said. “Raleigh’s evolution as a 21st century city and one of the best places to live, work and play in the country is in part due to Mr. Zachary’s work and leadership as city manager during Raleigh’s early periods of growth.”

He served under Raleigh’s only African-American Mayor, the late Clarence Lightner, and its first female Mayor, Isabella Cannon.   

A native of Taylorsville, N.C., he studied engineering at North Carolina State University. He served as a Captain in the U.S. Army during World War II and was Anson County’s first manager.