Feb. 19, 1929 – Aug. 23, 2007

LOUISBURG – Raymond Earl Burnette, 78, of Louisburg, died peacefully Thursday at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill with his wife of 52 years by his side.

Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Sandy Creek Baptist Church with Rev. Joel Story officiating. Entombment will follow in Lancaster Memorial Park.

He was the oldest child of the late Saint Elmo and Ida Wood Burnette of Louisburg. Raymond was a devoted husband and father. He grew up on the family farm in the Sandy Creek Community of Franklin County and graduated from Edward Best High School. He was a Veteran of the U.S. Air Force. At a young age he became a pilot. He was a Real Estate Broker and Developer. Developments included the Franklin County Airport and Sports Parachute Center and Franklin Plaza Shopping Center. In earlier years, Raymond became a building contractor, logger, merchant, and established the Connor Mobile Home Sales Lot, a first for Louisburg. He was instrumental in helping establish many businesses in Louisburg and surrounding areas. It was during the time he was driving long distance for McLean Trucking Company of Winston-Salem that he met his lifetime partner, Barbara Foster Burnette of Saxe, Virginia, and returned to Franklin County. He attributed his success to an early opportunity in business given to him by Bland B. Pruitt of Louisburg.

Raymond served as chairman of Franklin Water & Sewer Authority for many years, and on the board of directors for 10 years. He was a member of the Franklin Regional Medical Center Board of Directors in the 90’s. Served on the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the First Citizens Bank Board of Directors, President of the Louisburg Business Association. He was President of Louisburg Area Jaycees, a Mason, served on the Board of the Eastern Carolina Yacht Club. He received the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year award in 1988. His two favorite sports were flying and boating with the family.

Raymond is survived by his loving wife, Barbara F. Burnette; daughters and sons in-law, Cecilia B. and Dennis Boone of Spring Hope, Patricia Burnette-Chastain and husband Jim of Louisburg, Amy B. and Mark Dickens of Louisburg; sisters and brothers-in-law, Iris B. and Johnnie Stewart of Raleigh, Mollie B. and Morise Evans of Louisburg, Cyretha B. Barbee of Goldsboro; grandchildren, Jessica Nash, Grant Boone, J.M. Dickens, Holly Dickens, Anna Dickens, Jonathan Dickens and Madeline Chastain.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Sandy Creek Baptist Church, White Level Baptist Church, Duke Memorial Baptist Church, 610 N. Bickett Blvd., Louisburg, NC 27549.

The family would like to thank the staff of Franklin Regional Medical Center and UNC Hospital for the excellent care they provided, and for their kindness to the entire family.

The family received friends 7 – 8:30 p.m. Friday at Strickland Funeral Home, 103 W. Franklin St. Louisburg.

Paid Obituary