Mr. and Mrs. James C. Deal

This annual scholarship was established by Pender Nursery in honor of the life’s work of its founder L. Dow Pender, Jr. Mr. Pender was born in Tarboro, NC. He moved to Raleigh with his family as a teenager. He graduated from NC State in 1936 and went to work with his father at Pender Manufacturing and Supply Company. In the mid-1950’s, he opened Pender Nursery and continued in the nursery business for 40 years, building his dream from a small backyard operation to a successful and thriving wholesale nursery. This scholarship was created by his business associate, Jim Deal, who now owns and operates Pender Nursery, Inc. Mr. Pender was Jim Deal’s mentor, friend, and business associate. Kathy and Jim Deal carry on the Pender tradition by taking pride in the people who work at the nursery, their diverse product lines, and most importantly, their customers and customer service. Pender Nursery continues to be a leader in the green industry.