Hundreds of mourners gathered Thursday at The Village Chapel in Pinehurst to celebrate the life of Mayor George Lane.

Lane died Tuesday at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital after falling at his home on Feb. 15. He was 81.

The church was filled to capacity for the memorial service. The village's offices closed for most of the afternoon so staff could attend. Planning and Zoning Board and Historic Preservation Commission meetings were canceled.

Good friend Howard Warren and Village Manager Andy Wilkison offered remembrances of Lane.

Warren said he and Lane formed a very close relationship over the years. Lane, an educator, and Warren, an architect, had a common interest in schools. Warren said they used to "banter" back and forth about the subject, and their friendship grew from there.

"George was a person who could communicate and inspire and let people do their thing the best they could," he said. "Our relationship was almost like brother to brother. We could kid each other, fool around, but if anybody said something against either one of us, they were in for it."

Warren said he and Lane played golf together regularly on Tuesdays. He recalled that the golf group started talking to Lane about running for mayor because of his heavy involvement in civic affairs. They started calling him "Mr. Mayor," quite some time before he even decided to run.

Lane eventually mounted a successful mayoral campaign in 2007, winning election by a substantial margin.

"George brought his leadership skills to the mayor's position in Pinehurst," he said. "George was always looking for ways to improve and make Pinehurst a better place. Not only Pinehurst, but the area around here and all the surrounding areas. He was a great administrator who was able to bring people to the table and work together."

Wilkison said he and Lane were friends before he was elected, but they became even closer afterward. He said Lane's passion of listening to residents' thoughts and concerns made him such an effective mayor.

"To every one of us here, he was a friend," he said. "George cared about people. He loved his family, co-workers, neighbors and just plain acquaintances "

Wilkison said that Lane had "an endless supply of big ideas" for the village. He said some of them were coming to fruition today.

"Some of them actually made the hair stand up on the back of my neck," he added, drawing laughter from the audience. "Things were not dull around George Lane."

Wilkison mentioned Lane's dedication to the creation of village committees, saying that he bet most of those in attendance had served or were presently serving on a committee of some kind that Lane established. He also said that Lane was one who liked to be "on the road," traveling to other municipalities and working with them.

"George wanted people involved," he said. "People mattered to George, and George made sure that I and others at the village knew that people matter."

Two photos of Lane and a folded American flag adorned a table at the front of the chapel. Those in attendance sang one of Lane's favorite hymns, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." The attendees joined the family for a reception afterward.

Wilkison said, "George was a great friend, a great leader, a mentor to many, including myself, and a fine example for those of us still here on how to conduct our lives. Now he is gone, making new friends and greeting old ones in a better place.

"Pinehurst will, of course, go on, but we are better off because he was among us for a time."

Contact John Krahnert III at (910) 693-2473 or by e-mail at jkrahnert@thepilot.com.