Willie Ray Dawes

He was born on June 26, 1939, in Wilson County, North Carolina to the late Ethna Lamont Dawes and Rosa Estelle Batchelor Dawes. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by nine brothers and sisters.

He was a charter member of Union Cross Baptist Church in Kernersville, North Carolina.

He was a Vietnam Veteran, having served in the United States Air Force from 1957 until his retirement in the grade of Technical Sergeant in 1978. He worked C-130 radar maintenance during his military career. He then continued his service to his country as a civil servant installing computers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina for several more years.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Sula Taylor Dawes of Lillington, NC; two daughters, Mary Elizabeth Keown (Tony) of Bonaire, GA; and Susan Dawes Gurlea (Michael) of Leetonia, Ohio; four grandchildren, Charles Mitchell Keown of Euless, Texas; Anthony Ray Keown of Statesboro, Georgia; Rachel Elizabeth Keown of Kennesaw, Georgia; and Alan Michael Gurlea of Leetonia, Ohio. He is also survived by his brothers, Fred Dawes (Brenda) of Bailey, North Carolina, and Jehu Dawes of Elm City, NC, and sister Lillian Joyner of Elm City.

Mr. Dawes loved to fish, work outside, eat barbecue from Parkers, and drive his John Deere tractors and Lincoln Town Cars. You could often hear him singing old hymns. .

A private graveside service will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at Evergreen Memorial Park in Wilson. Funeral Services are entrusted to Thomas-Yelverton Funeral Home in Wilson.

Online condolences may be given by visiting www.thomasyelverton.com