Verell Small was born September 16, 1952 to the late Fred S. Small and Annie M Small. He departed this life and entered into his eternal life on December 22, 2012 at Vidant Medical Center, Greenville.

He joined Second Zion Grove Missionary Baptist Church at an early age. He attended Sunday School BTU and other church functions until he moved away to further his education.

Verell atteneed public schools in Washington County, graduating from Plymouth High School in 1970. He continued his education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, receiving his Bachelors of Arts in Mental Retardation. In 1975, he attended a graduate seinar on the design and implementation of a work study program for the mentally retarded at North Carolina State University. He also accrued 16 hours towards his Master's Degree in Counseling at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC.

Verell worked in the school system in Wilson County and was the first certified teacher of special education where he developed and implemented the systems first work-study program for high school special education students. He was the director of an early intervention program for developmentally disabled children and parents at Wilson-Greene Mental Health Center and two other Mental Health Center Programs. In 1983 he was appointed Games and Training Director North Carolina Special Olympics Inc. in Raleigh, NC.

Verell moved back to Washington County in 1989 and began to work at the Roanoke Development Center Inc.(RDC) as an Adult Day Program Coordinator in Plymouth. In addition to his duties at RDC, he established a printing business. The print shop was a big success. It provided businesses with programs, forms, announcements, business cards, as well as providing jobs for individuals who attended the day program. It was nothing to be sitting in a church function, wedding, funeral or any program and watch others flipped the program over to see if RDC, Inc. Print Shop's signature on the back.

Verell continued his love for working with disabled and special needs individuals and moved to Wilmington, NC where he worked with an Adult Day Program until his health conditions prevented him.

Celebrating the memeory of his life are his mother- Annie M. Small; brother- Fred S. Small, Jr.- Plymouth, NC; two sisters- Teresa S. McNair (Leon)-Plymouth, Fracine S. Hines (Edward)- Jamesville, NC; a special aunt- Paris Small-Jacobs of Plymouth; other aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, cousins and special friends in Chapel Hill, Plymouth, Raleigh, Wilmington and Wilson.

Funeral services were held 12:00PM Friday December 28, 2012 at Second Zion Grove Missionary Baptist Church with Pastor Hubert Judon, officiating. Burial followed in Second Zion Grove Missonary Baptist Church Cemetery.