Rev. William Rawley Amburn

The Rev. William Rawley Amburn, 82, of Mount Airy, passed away Wednesday morning, May 13, 2009, at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem. Mr. Amburn was born April 9, 1927, in Surry County, to the late William Jefferson and Lula Mae Gordon Amburn. Rawley radiated the love of Jesus Christ in everything he did and said and lived an exemplary Christian life in every way. He attended and graduated from Franklin High School with honors. He served his country with pride as a staff sergeant in the United States Army from 1945 to 1947 at Vent Hill Farms in Virginia. He attended North Carolina State University in Raleigh, graduating with honors in vocational agriculture and horticulture with a minor in math in 1951. He taught vocational agriculture at Wilkes Central High School and Millers Creek High School from 1951-1953; Beulah High School from 1953-1956; Westfield High School and East Surry High School from 1956-1975; and South Stokes High School from 1969-1985. He was also an administrator of Glade Valley School for 15 years. The Rev. Amburn served as director and ranger for Susan Barbour Jones Presbyterians Camp for 20 years. He delivered Meals-On-Wheels for 8 years; a member of the Beulah Ruritan Club, where he helped establish the Beulah Medical Clinic; a member of the Franklin Ruritan Club for 10 years and was the club's president for 4 years; served on the board of YVEDDI for 8 years; and served with Faith In Action for 5 years. Rawley served on the advisory board of Yokefellow Co-Operative Ministry for 10 years and was named its volunteer of the year in 2008 for community service. He was a member of the Blue Ridge Baptist Association for 20 years. He celebrated life with bluegrass music, playing an incomparable style of rhythm for 64 years. He served as a judge for the Galax Fiddlers Convention for 5 years; Alleghany Fiddlers Convention for 2 years; Yadkinville Fiddlers Convention for 2 years; and West Jefferson, Jonesville, Bristol, and Chilhowie. He gave zest and life to everything he did, and served the Lord with joy and thanksgiving for the gift of life God had given him with vocation, family, and friends. He was licensed and ordained into the Christian church at Richmond, VA, in 1978, after the miraculous recovery of his son's (Paul) sixth-month coma. He served the Lord with the joy he imparted to every other aspect of life and was a friend to every man. The Rev. Amburn served the following churches as minister: Antioch Methodist Church, Roaring Gap Baptist Church, Cranberry Christian Church, Coal Creek Community Church, and Mount Sinai Baptist Church in Galax, VA. He met the love of his life, Wanda Jean Bottomley, in 1951 and they were married on January 5, 1952. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Wanda Jean Bottomley Amburn of the home; a daughter and son-in-law, Kim A. and Kenneth Joyner of Emerald Isle; two sons and a daughter-in-law, Barry and Juno Amburn of King and Paul Austin Amburn of the home; a grandson and his wife, William Daniel and Mary-Peyton Amburn of Raleigh; a sister, Ruth Hooker of Mount Airy; special nieces, Margaret Hooker (Lowell) Layman and her daughters, Stephanie (Rex) Gregory and Jill (Jimmy) Nichols, and Evelyn (Lonnie) Gunter; and dear friends, Margaret Norman and Darrell Bondurant. In addition to his parents, the Rev. Amburn was preceded in death by a daughter, Julie Amburn; a beloved brother-in-law, Claude France Hooker; and a beloved nephew, Claude Wayne Hooker. A celebration of his life will be held Saturday, May 16, 2009, at 2:00 PM at Moody Funeral Home Chapel in Mount Airy, with Dr. David Sparks and Dr. Joseph Alexander officiating. Interment will follow in the Blue Ridge Chapel Cemetery, with full military honors by the VFW Memorial Honor Guard. The family will receive friends Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the funeral home, and other times at the home of Barry and Juno Amburn, 104 Provence Court, King. The family wishes to thank Dr. Robyn Hakanson, the staff of Northern Hospital of Surry County, especially Margaret Norman, Sandra Cockerham, and Judy Denise Justice, and the 5th floor-Unit C ICU staff at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center for their care and love during this trying time. If desired, memorial contributions can be made to Yokefellow Co-Operative Ministry, P.O. Box 211, Mount Airy, NC 27030, to the American Red Cross-Surry County Chapter, 844 Westlake Drive, Mount Airy, NC 27030, or to the King Outreach Ministry, P.O. Box 1450, King, NC 27021