Donald Funderburk

Lake Junaluska, NC - The Reverend Donald Franklin Funderburk, 77, died Friday, October 7, 2011 at Memorial Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina. A native of Lancaster, South Carolina, he was a son of the late Wade Hampton Funderburk and Estelle Williams Funderburk. He was a 1951 graduate from Buford High School in South Carolina and entered the U.S. Navy where he served four years as a dental technician. Upon his discharge from the service in January, 1956, Mr. Funderburk entered Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. After graduation from Wofford in May, 1959, he entered Duke Divinity School, Duke University to prepare himself for full-time Christian Service as a pastor. He graduated from Duke in 1963 with a Master of Divinity Degree. Mr. Funderburk was ordained Deacon in 1961 and Elder in 1963. He spent a total of 36 years serving as pastor of United Methodist Churches in the North Carolina Conference and the South Carolina Annual Conferences of The United Methodist Church. He served the following appointments: Gillburg in Henderson, N. C. Jerusalem and Zion in Norlina, N. C. and the following South Carolina Churches: Campobello, Campobello, Plum Branch Charge (St. Paul, Republican, and Troy) in Greenwood and McCormick Counties; Epting Memorial in Newberry; Pageland in Pageland; Jackson Charge (Bethel and Wesley Chapel) in Jackson; Lake City in Lake City; Main Street in Abbeville; Bethel Park in Denmark; St. Mark in Columbia; and retired in 1996 from St. George in St. George. Mr. Funderburk was preceded in death by his brother, Charles Wade Funderburk, of Asheville and a grandson, Thomas Funderburk Brown, of Summerville. He is survived by Mary A. Funderburk, his wife for nearly 53 years; his son, Marc Lindsay Funderburk (Betts H.) of North Augusta, South Carolina; his daughter, Celeste F. Brown (Arthur E. Brown, Jr.) of Summerville, South Carolina. He is also survived by five granddaughters: Dr. Jennie E. Haithcock (Judson) of Summerville, South Carolina, Anne L. Funderburk of Charleston, South Carolina, Kate L. Funderburk of Charleston, South Carolina, Caroline M. Brown of Summerville, S. C., and Julia E. Brown of Summerville, South Carolina; a sister, Mary E. Funderburk Philllips (W.E. Phillips) of Lancaster, South Carolina; a sister-in-law, Opal B. Funderburk of Asheville; and several nieces and nephews. A Service of Celebration for the life of Rev. Donald Franklin Funderburk will be held on Sunday, October 9, 2011 at 3:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, North Carolina. Interment will be at Garrett-Hillcrest Memorial Park in Waynesville. Active pallbearers will be Allen Aiken, Kevin G. Bobo, Austin Bobo, Rev. Brian Gilmer, Dr. Keith Grant, Rev. Charles R. Johnson, and Rev. Morris Thompson. Honorary pallbearers will be members of The Junaluskans. The body will lie in state in the sanctuary of the church for one hour prior to the service. Leading the service will be the Reverend Sanford Giles, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Waynesville. Assisting ministers will be, The Reverend Wilson Strickhausen and Dr. A.V. Huff, and The Reverend Norwood P. Montgomery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, P.O. Box 838, Waynesville, NC 28786 or to The Junaluskans, c/o The Reverend Thomas Conway, Treasurer, P.O. Box 877, Lake Junaluska, NC 28745

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