By Staff
Mrs. Rachel Brooks Fox Futrell, 88, of 1206 Summit Ave., Washington, died Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010, at the East Carolina Heart Center in Greenville, after a brief illness.
A graveside service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday at the family burial plot in Oakdale Cemetery, with the Rev. Daniel Allen, senior pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Washington, officiating. Special music will be provided by the Rev. Charles Michael Smith.
Active pallbearers will be Thomas Ray Atkins, Edwin Gray Deans, William Ray McKeithan, Charles Zoph Potts, Thomas Churchill Swanner Jr., Glen Neal Titus III, Leslie Dwayne Weston and Robert Wilbur Whitley III.
Honorary pallbearers will be Sen. Marc Basnight, Dr. Durant Bell, Wayne Blanks, W. Horace Boyette, G.D. Elliott, Stanley Friedman, Mike Gwynn, Frank Timberlake, Harold Lane, Brett Lee, Philip W. Mobley, John I. Morgan, Mitchell St. Clair, Dennis Seiler, Melvin Smith, Vance T. Smith, Dr. Henry L. Stephenson Jr., Dr. Fredrick A. Teixeira, Milford Tetterton, Rep. Arthur Williams III, present and past staff members of the Washington Daily News, and members of the Ramblers Supper Club.
A visitation will be held today from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Paul Funeral Home. The family will receive friends at other times at 1206 Summit Ave.
Mrs. Futrell was born May 28, 1922, in the Brooksdale area of Roxboro to George Martin Fox and Rosa Effie Brooks Fox. She attended schools in Person County and graduated from Roxboro High School. She graduated from Louisburg College and Greensboro College with a degree in teaching. She taught public school in Mebane, Henderson and Washington. Following her teaching career, she worked in the business office and was a corporate officer of the Washington Daily News.
On Nov. 25, 1949, she married Ashley Brown Futrell of Wilson, who preceded her in death on Feb. 11, 2005.
Mrs. Futrell is survived by one son, Ashley Brown Futrell Jr. and his wife Susan, of Washington; two grandchildren, Gretchen Suzanne “Nan” Futrell of Washington, D.C., and Ashley Brown “Ace” Futrell III of Columbiana, Ala.; one sister, Cleo Fox Titus of Roxboro; one nephew, Glen Neal Titus Jr. and his wife Linda, of Washington; her namesake, Rachel Brown Hackney of Sarasota, Fla., and special friend and caregiver, Sylvia Guilford of Washington.
Mrs. Futrell was an active member of the First United Methodist Church, serving as a Sunday school teacher, member and president of the United Methodist Women, a member of the Endowment Committee, a member of the Pastor Parish Relations Committee, and numerous other positions. She is a former chairwoman and treasurer of the Washington Corps of the Salvation Army and was honored by the organization with the designation of lifetime board member.
Mrs. Futrell is a former member of the Historic Bath Commission and served as a member of the Louisburg College Board of Visitors. She was a founding member and former president of the DeMille Book Club, and was instrumental in the restoration of the Turnage Theater. The Turnage Theaters Foundation named its top fundraising category “The Rachel Futrell Society” in her honor.
Mrs. Futrell’s last public appearance was in February of this year at the dedication of the Sen. Ashley B. Futrell Bridge on the U.S. Highway 17 Bypass.
The family would like to express its appreciation to the staff of Pamlico Internal Medicine, the Beaufort County Medical Center, Ridgewood Manor and the Heart Center of Pitt Memorial Hospital.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers memorial gifts may be made to the First United Methodist Church New Horizons Fund, 304 W. Second St., Washington, NC 27889; the Washington Corps of The Salvation Army, 112 E. Seventh St., Washington, NC 27889; the Rachel Futrell Society of Turnage Theaters Foundation, P.O. Box 276, Washington, NC 27889; Brooksdale United Methodist Church, c/o Jane Rogers, P.O. Box 614, Roxboro, NC 27573, or a charity of one’s choice.
Paul Funeral Home is serving the Futrell family.
Paid Obituary