Sudie and Kamica Way petitioned the New Bern Board of Aldermen to rename E. Street to Leroy Way Jr. Avenue in Duffyfield in honor of his life on May 12, 2026 at City Hall in New Bern, NC.
During the Requests and Petition of Citizens, Sudie said her husband created a rental company for low-income families in Craven, Jones and Pamlico counties. She said he was known as “Coach Way” and said he formed a summer league track team, known as the New Bern Blazers, at New Bern High School who competed across eastern North Carolina. She said when he was at West Craven Middle School, he provided after school tutoring with volunteer teachers and parents making sandwiches to make sure the students had something to eat.
Leroy Way Jr. passed away in 2022.
Information in the meeting packet notes, “Five residences face E Street, and all but one are owned by the Way family.”
About 20 minutes into the meeting, aldermen Trey Ferguson (Ward 1), Sharon Bryant (Ward 2), “Bobby” Aster (Ward 3), Lainy White (Ward 4), Barbara Best (Ward 5) and Dana Outlaw (Ward 6) voted for a motion to adopt a resolution to rename E Street to Leroy Way Jr. Avenue. Mayor Jeffrey Odham (of Ward 6) also voted for the motion.
Meeting videos can be found on City 3 TV or on the city’s Facebook page and/or YouTube channel.
By Wendy Card, editor. Send an email with questions or comments.