Grady Birchfield

Canton-Grady Samuel Birchfield, age 75, of the Bethel community, died Monday, March 22, 2004 at his residence.

He was a native and lifelong resident of Haywood County and was a son of the late Samuel Dive and Mary Glenn Trull Burchfield. He was also preceded in death by 3 brothers, Jack, Ronnie and William Burchfield. He retired from the National Park Service in 1988 with 30 years of service in maintenance with the Blue Ridge Parkway. Grady attended Bethel Baptist Church and was an avid fisherman, carpenter, and built the three houses that the family lived in all their lives. He was a United States Army Veteran serving in the Vietnam War.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Joyce Birchfield, one daughter, Greta Birchfield Clark and her husband Jim of Morristown, TN, two sons, Ricky Le Faine Birchfield and his wife Patricia and Ronny Dale Birchfield and his wife Mary, all of Canton, one brother, Mike Burchfield of Canton and 7 grandchildren, Christopher Phillips, Amanda Dawn, Adam, Taryn, Nekole Birchfield, Brooke and Trey Clark.

Funeral services will be at 3:00 p.m. Thursday, March 25, 2004 at the Canton Chapel of Wells Funeral Homes & Cremation Services. Pastor Roy Kilby will officiate. Burial will follow at New Cruso Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the funeral home prior to the service. At other times, the family will be at the residence, 97 Bird Creek Drive, Waynesville, NC 28786. Serving as pallbearers will be Tony Rayburn, Vince Stringfellow, James Stepp, Christopher Phillips, Adam Birchfield and Steve Birchfield.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Haywood County EMS, 215 North Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786 or to the Center Pigeon Volunteer Fire Dept., P.O. Box 875, Canton, NC 28716.

Previous Events