SEDLEY — Gholie McCoy Burgess, 91, passed away peacefully on June 10, 2017, in his home surrounded by his family after a long illness.

Mr. Burgess was a native of Southampton County and was one of 13 children of the late Gholie Seward Burgess and Elizabeth “Lizzie” Newsome Burgess. He was predeceased by his siblings, Bill Burgess (Ina), Helen Burgess, Sally Francis (Gilbert), “Happy” Burgess (Mabelle), Raymond Burgess and Baby Roger.

Mr. Burgess was a member of Sedley Baptist Church, a veteran of the Merchant Marines, a former Cub Scout leader, and a retired papermaker from Union Camp Corp. after 41 years of service.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 68 years, Dorothy Drake Burgess; three sons, G. McCoy Jr. (Linda) of California; Bobby (Myra) of Orlando, Florida; and Ronny (Carol) of Maidens; three sisters, Swann, Anne (Wayne) and Carolyn (Jerry); three brothers, Emerson (Shirley), Earl (Cecilia) and Wayne (Barbara); three granddaughters, Hilary, Lisa Gelman (Josh) and Kimberly Lewis (Broc); and three great-grandchildren, Vivianne and Levi Gelman and Sophia Lewis; two sisters-in-law, Beth Burgess and Shara Kitchen; and a brother-in-law, Ted Drake Jr.; and many nieces and nephews.

The funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 15, in Sedley Baptist Church with the Rev. Jim Foreman officiating. Burial will be at Rosemont Cemetery.

The family will receive friends on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. in Wright Funeral Home, and suggests that memorial donations be made to Sedley Baptist Church, American Heart Association or the Alzheimer’s Association.

The family would like to thank the second- and third-floor nurses and doctors at Southampton Memorial Hospital and home health care nurses and hospice for McCoy’s care. A special thank you to Elder Celestine and Joseph Blow for being his guardian angels.

www.wrightfuneralhome.org.