January 24, 95, Princeton
William Thomas “Bill” Bullington, Sr., 95, of Princeton passed away at Johnston Medical Center on Tuesday, January 24, 2017. Mr. Bill was born September 24, 1921 and was the son of the late Edgar Lorenzo Bullington and Ella Griffin Bullington Grayson. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Kathryn Canady Bullington. Mr. Bill and Mrs. Mary were married 65 years, 4 months, and 1 days of which Mr. Bill was very proud of. He was also preceded in death by a son, William Thomas Bullington, Jr.; daughter, Sandra Kaye Harris; great-grandchildren, Jasmine and Nathan as well as three sisters and one brother.
Funeral services will be held in the Casey Funeral Home Chapel on Saturday, January 28, 2017 at 2:00 pm with the Reverend Jack Booth officiating. The burial, with full military honors, will take place immediately following the funeral service at Princeton Cemetery.
In 1936 Mr. Bullington went to work for the CCC before entering the service on October 18, 1939. Mr. Bullington proudly served his country in the US Army with the 82nd Airborne Division during WWII and Korea. When he entered the army he served as the last of the horse drawn artillery. In 1942 he trained at Camp McCall in the Glider Test Squadron. At the Veteran Memorial in Fayetteville there is an exhibit showing this project. While in Korea he was an inspector. Mr. Bullington was a Master Paratrooper and logged in over 345 jumps. He also had 6 months of Endanger Service. Mr. Bullington retired March 31, 1960 with 20 years of service as a Cheif Warrant Officer III. Mr. Bill was a kind and gentle man who strived and succeeded at being husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. He loved God, his family and his country. In 1949, Mr. Bill married the love of his life Mary and together they raised five children while actively serving in the United State Army. Upon retirement from the Army in 1960. Mr. Bill embarked on his second career with North Carolina Natural Gas. Mr. Bill and Mrs. Mary celebrated 65 years of marriage until her death in August 2014. Throughout their marriage, Mr. Bill lovingly supported Mary’s adventurous spirit, her love of cooking and entertaining, and served countless hours as head “souse chef” at Casey’s Floral and Catering Services. Though advanced in age, Mr. Bill with his sister-in-law, Grace Louise, they lovingly cared for Mary during her period of declining health. After moving to Princeton to live with Martha and Craig in 2014, Mr. Bill took great pleasure in serving as head greeter at Casey Funeral Home, watching birds and squirrels, reading his daily newspaper, playing solitaire, watching the Price is Right and enjoying visits family, community friends and his Progressive Presbyterian Church family, of which he became a member in July 2015.
The family is grateful for the attentiveness and care Mr. Bill received from Dr. Donna Capps, 3HC Staff especially Catina Capps, Donna Olive, and Michelle Hewett; special family friends, Linda Martin and Betty Faye Edwards. The family appreciates the many prayers, cards, phone calls and acts of kindness shown to them over the past few years. There are too many of you to name specifically, but please know the family so appreciates everyone’s thoughtfulness and generosity.
He is survived by daughters and sons-in-law, Dorothea Jane Fox and husband, Charles of Ocean Isle, Pamela Lynne VanHerpen and husband, Ken of Colorado, and Martha Jeanne Casey and husband, Craig of Princeton; son-in-law, John Harris of Fayetteville, 9 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren; sisters-in-law, Grace Louise Canady and Joan Sessoms and husband, Bill; special extended family, Twyla Casey Wells and John Wells.
The family will receive friends from 12:30 pm until 2:00 pm in Casey Funeral Home Chapel on Saturday, January 28, 2017 and at other times at the home of Craig and Martha Casey, 704 Quarterhorse Road, Princeton, NC.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.caseyfh.com.