Rufus E. Burch, Jr.

Rufus E. Burch, Jr., age 86 of Asheboro died Wednesday, July 18, 2012 at the Randolph Hospice House, Asheboro. The family will receive friends Friday, July 20, 2012 from 6 to 8 PM at Pugh Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, July 21, 2012 at 2:00 PM at the Chapel at Pugh Funeral Home with the Rev. Timothy Pheagin officiating. Rufus was born on December 9, 1925 in Mt. Croghan, South Carolina. After high school graduation, he joined the Navy and proudly served as a Gunner's Mate on the U.S.S. LCS(L)(3) 20 assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theatre. Upon discharge from the Navy, he began a 38 year career in textiles, with Klopman Mills in Rockingham, NC where he met and married his wife, Rea Hall in 1953. They eventually moved to Asheboro in 1965, where he continued working for Burlington Industries. One of his last assignments was in Ireland, which he greatly enjoyed. Rufus was a lifelong Baptist and attended First Baptist Church of Asheboro. After retiring from Burlington Industries, he began a 25 year love for wood-carving. In 1986 he and his wife formed Log Cabin Crafts, and attended many crafts shows selling their woodcarvings. He won multiple ribbons for his duck decoy and bird carvings and generously shared his knowledge and carvings with everyone. He also served as a docent at the NC Zoo, where he enjoyed his greatest love, meeting and talking with people. Rufus was preceded in death by his parents, Rufus Edwin Burch and Ola Hendricks Burch and his sister, Frances Burch. Surviving are his wife of 59 years, Rea Hall Burch; son, Rick Burch of Columbia, South Carolina; son, Rod Burch of Durham; son, Randy Burch of Charlotte; daughter, Rhonda Burch Moffitt and husband Bruce of Asheboro and only grandchild, Lyndsay Burch a student at Elon University. Special gratitude to Hospice of Randolph County for their excellent and loving care, provided through both Carebridge Home Health and the Randolph Hospice House. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of Randolph County, P.O. Box 9, Asheboro, NC, 27204. Pugh Funeral Home in Asheboro is serving the Burch family.