Billy Evans Funderburke, 80 of Tifton died Saturday, April 24, 2010, at Tift Regional Medical Center following a brief illness. Funeral services will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27, 2010, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals. Rev. Ronnie Vice will officiate with burial to follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Ruben Nelson, Glenn Hardy, Morris Sapp, Wayne Purvis, Tommy Johnson and Virgil Johnson will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be the staff of the Georgia Agrirama and the Tifton Gazette. The family will receive friends on Monday, April 26, 2010, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Mr. Funderburke was born on December 28, 1929 in Tifton and was the son of James A. Funderburke and Celia Wright Funderburke, both deceased. He was also preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Bessie Jo Parrish Funderburke, who died April 21, 2009; six brothers, Reuben Funderburke, H. T. Funderburke, Bobby Funderburke, John Funderburke, Howard Funderburke and Lamar Funderburke; three sisters, Helen Hale, Dorothy Nelson and Sally Funderburke; and his beloved cat, Lucy. He was retired from the Tifton Gazette, where he was employed for 38 years in the ad composing department and had been employed at the Georgia Agrirama for the past 13 years as an interpreter and typeset printer. This was not only his job, but his passion. Mr. Funderburke was an avid fan of the University of Georgia Bulldogs, the Atlanta Braves and the Tift County High Blue Devils. He also loved Nascar and his favorite driver was Awesome Bill Elliott and he was lovingly known to his friends as “Awesome Bill”. He enjoyed researching the history of old trains, railroads and bridges and was of the Baptist faith.
Mr. Funderburke is survived by one daughter, Joy Funderburke, of Tifton; a special niece, Teresa Parrish Sebastian; numerous other nieces and nephews and their families; and special friends and neighbors for over 40 years, Glenn and Christine Hardy of Tifton.