Kenneth Cross

Ken Cross, a great man, teacher and coach, died April 13, 2026, at his home in White Lake, North Carolina. He was 82.

A service of celebration will be held at Saint Francis De Sales Catholic Church in Lumberton, North Carolina, at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 21. A private burial is scheduled for Wednesday, April 22.

Born Nov. 25, 1943, in Carlstadt, New Jersey, Cross was the son of the late Frederick Cross and Ruth Elizabeth Boyce. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Rick Cross, and his cousin, Ginger Goldstein, whom he considered a sister. He is survived by his sister, Ruth Higgins, and her husband, Rich, along with 11 nieces and nephews.

A lifelong fan of the New York Yankees, Cross also grew up watching the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, sparking his love for basketball. He graduated from East Rutherford High School and Seton Hall University before becoming a coach in New Jersey.

After getting his start at St. Luke’s High School in 1968, Cross spent 17 years coaching across New Jersey, Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania before making his way to North Carolina in 1990. There, he became a Bladen County legend as one of the best high school basketball coaches in the state.

Cross won more than 660 games over 50 years, leading Tar Heel and West Bladen to a host of conference championships and deep runs in the NCHSAA playoffs.

He won more than 74% of his games at West Bladen, finishing with a 202-69 record in 10 seasons. His Knights reached the mountaintop in the 2007-08 season, posting a 30-2 record that included a dominant win against Canton Pisgah in the NCHSAA 2-A state championship game at N.C. State’s Reynolds Coliseum. It remains the only state title in any sport for West Bladen, which opened in 2001.

Because of his success as a coach and his impeccable character as a teacher and leader of young men and women, Cross saw West Bladen’s gymnasium named in his honor on Oct. 1, 2023. It is now known as “Ken F. Cross Gymnasium.”

“I’m honored beyond belief with this,” Cross said during the 2023 ceremony.

Genuine to his core, Cross was a devout Catholic who rarely missed Saturday Mass. He had several sayings that he preached to his players and students: “God, family, books and basketball. And in that order.”

He encouraged them to “do what’s right, do your best and treat others the way you want to be treated.” And he reminded them that anything worth accomplishing is accomplished together: “Togetherness equals success.” A fierce competitor with a caring heart, Cross lived the Golden Rule on a daily basis and represented the best of Bladen County and beyond.

“I love Bladen County. I think a lot of people love me — I hope so,” he said in 2023.