WILLIAM THOMAS "BILL" BURLINGTON SR.
Sept. 24, 1921-Jan. 24, 2017
William Thomas “Bill” Bullington Sr., 95, Princeton, passed away at Johnston Medical Center Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017.
Mr. Bill was born Sept. 24, 1921, and was the son of the late Edgar Lorenzo Bullington and Ella Griffon Bullington Grayson.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Kathryn Canady Bullington. Mr. Bill and Mrs. Mary were married 65 years, four months and one day, of which Mr. Bill was very proud of.
He was also preceded in death by a son, William Thomas Bullington Jr.; daughter, Sandra Kaye Harris; great-grandchildren, Jasmine and Nathan; as well as three sisters and one brother.
Funeral services will be held in Casey Funeral Home chapel Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017, at 2 p.m., with the Rev. Jack Booth officiating. The burial, with full military honors, will take place immediately following the funeral service at Princeton Cemetery.
In 1936, Mr. Bullington went to work for the CCC before entering the service Oct. 18, 1939.
Mr. Bullington proudly served his country in the United States Army with the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II and Korea. When he entered the Army, he served as the last of the horse drawn artillery.
In 1942 he trained at Camp McCall in the Glider Test Squadron. At the Veteran Memorial in Fayetteville, there is an exhibit showing this project.
While in Korea, he was an inspector.
Mr. Bullington was a master paratrooper, and logged in more than 345 jumps. He also had six months of endanger service. Mr. Bullington retired March 31, 1960, with 20 years of service.
Mr. Bill was a kind and gentle man, who strived, and succeeded, at being husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
He loved God, his family and his country.
In 1949, Mr. Bill married the love of his life Mary, and together they raised five children while actively serving in the United States Army.
Upon retirement from the Army in 1960, Mr. Bill embarked on his second career with North Carolina Natural Gas.
Mr. Bill and Mrs. Mary celebrated 65 years of marriage until her death in August 2014. Throughout their marriage, Mr. Bill lovingly supported Mary’s adventurous spirit and her love of cooking and entertaining, and served countless hours as head “souse chef” at Casey’s Floral and Catering Services.
Though advanced in age, Mr. Bill, with his sister-in-law, Grace Louise, they lovingly cared for Mary during her period of declining health.
After moving to Princeton to live with Martha and Craig in 2014, Mr. Bill took great pleasure in serving as head greeter at Casey Funeral Home, watching birds and squirrels, reading his daily newspaper, playing solitaire, watching the Price is Right and enjoying visits family, community friends and his Progressive Presbyterian Church family, of which he became a member in July 2015.
The family is grateful for the attentiveness and care Mr. Bill received from Dr. Donna Capps, 3HC Staff, especially Catina Capps, Donna Olive and Michelle Hewett; and special family friends, Linda Martin and Betty Faye Edwards.
The family appreciates the many prayers, cards, phone calls and acts of kindness shown to the family over the past few years. There are too many of you to name specifically, but please know the family so appreciates everyone’s thoughtfulness and generosity.
He is survived by daughters and sons-in-law, Dorothea Jane Fox and husband, Charles, of Ocean Isle, Pamela Lynne VanHerpen and husband, Ken, of Colorado and Martha Jeanne Casey and husband, Craig, of Princeton; son-in-law, John Harris of Fayetteville; nine grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law, Grace Louise Canady and Joan Sessoms and husband, Bill; and special extended family, Twyla Casey Wells and John Wells.
The family will receive friends from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Casey Funeral Home chapel Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017, and at other times, at the home of Craig and Martha Casey, 704 Quarterhorse Road, Princeton, N.C.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.caseyfh.com.
(Pd)
Published in Obituaries on January 27, 2017 10:35 AM