Joseph Burnette

Joseph Edwin (Ed) Burnette, age 78, died Monday, August 14, 2006, at Mountain Area Hospice, John F. Keever Jr., Solace Center, in Asheville, NC. The son of the late Thomas Garland (Bill) Burnette and Mary Miller Burnette, Ed was born April 28, 1928. He grew up in Canton, and later lived in Waynesville and Clyde, but had resided at Lake Junaluska since 1973. At age 16, Ed got a job at Canton Drug Store, working as a "soda jerk", earning him one of his many nicknames - "Jerk". Like so many Canton boys, at age 18 Ed "went into the mill" at Champion Paper. He retired in 1988 with over 40 years of service. Ed loved to fish and hunt, but mostly he just liked to be outdoors. He loved nature. Ed loved people. He loved to visit with the regulars at Haywood Café. He loved to drink coffee at Burger King at Lake Junaluska. And he loved to swap stories with the gang at Hardee's in Kenansville. Ed will be sorely missed by his many friends. Ed is survived by his wife, Evelyn Dotson Burnette, of the home; daughter Carolyn Shaffer, of Peru, Indiana; daughter Margaret Ann Taylor and husband Richard, of Knoxville, Tennessee; step-daughter Carolyn Burnette Ingram and husband Charles, of Kenansville; step-son Richard Burnette and wife Betty Jean, of Hendersonville; sister Anna Jean Chambers and brother-in-law Harold, of Clyde; brother Charles (Chili) Burnette and sister-in-law Edie of Canton; brother-in-law Charles Dotson and wife Jean, of Lake Junaluska; four grandchildren, Marty Murphy, the Reverend Tommy Murphy and wife Rebecca, Wes Shaffer and wife Tammy, and Steve Shaffer; two step-grandchildren, Megan Burnette and Kristen Seelig and husband Sam; ten great-grandchildren, Stephen Shaffer, Josh Shaffer, Kelsie Shaffer, Taylor Shaffer, Brooke Murphy, Cody Murphy, Madison Murphy, Mary Murphy, Moriah Murphy and Mackenzie Murphy; one step-great-granddaughter, Madison Seelig; and several nieces and nephews. Ed and family would like to thank Dr. Corazon Ngo and her staff in Kenansville; Dr. Ditte Phillips and her staff in Clyde; the late Dr. Ling, Dr. Crews, Dr. England, Dr. Durham and the staff of Mountain Kidney Associates, in Asheville; Patti Brooks, Sue Caldwell and the staff of Davita Dialysis Center, in Clyde; the staff at Mission Hospitals; and the angels at Mountain Area Hospice in Asheville, for the tender loving care that they all gave to Ed during his illness and for enabling him to spend his final days in comfort and peace. A memorial service celebrating Ed's life will be conducted at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 16, 2006, at Clyde Central United Methodist Church in Clyde, NC with the Reverend Randall Tingle officiating. . The family will receive friends in the church fellowship hall immediately after the service. In honoring Ed's long-standing wishes he will be cremated. His ashes will be scattered by the family in a private ceremony at a later time. Honorary pallbearers will be Wes Shaffer, Steve Shaffer, Marty Murphy, Tommy Murphy, Charles Dotson, Coleman Wilson, George Medford, David Boone, Hoyt Mason, David McKay, Bill McKay, Noland Smith, Andy Jones and Raymond Campbell. The family requests no flowers. Instead, those who wish to do so are encouraged to create living memorials by making contributions to the National Kidney Foundation, WNC Chapter, 329 Merrimon Avenue, Weaverville, NC 28787, or to Mountain Area Hospice, P. O. Box 5779 Asheville, NC 28803

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