William Luther "Bill" Browder

1931 - 2021

Browder, William Luther "Bill"

May 4, 1931 - January 24, 2021

William Luther (Bill) Browder, 89, of Lexington, North Carolina, passed away January 24, 2021. He dealt well with the many challenges of aging and as recently as 2019 was still tilling his own garden. In the end, as his physician had commented, he just "wore out." Bill was raised in the Methodist faith and was currently a member of First United Methodist Church of Lexington.

There were many things in life Bill loved passionately; family and friends, teaching, attending children's and grandchildren's sporting events, Lexington BBQ, debating--anything. But three things he loved more than all others: his life with Jo, his time in the Navy, and life on the farm.

Bill was the first born of Luke and Carrie Browder in Germanton, North Carolina. He grew up on his grandparents' and parents' farms with 55 first cousins. An avid reader, he was an excellent storyteller of his own exploits, and the adventures of others. Friends and family were often privileged to repeat performances of some stories that came to be classics. His training with Navy Seals was one that got better and better over the years. Seeing his pleasure in telling and retelling was part of the enjoyment we all got from hearing them again.

Bill married Jo, his loving wife of 68 years, on December 27, 1952. Rather than a rehearsal dinner or bachelor party, he attended his own emergency appendectomy on December 24, and arrived in Cool Springs just in time for his wedding.

Bill was a lifelong learner and supporter of education. He attended Pfeiffer Junior College, High Point College (where he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity), and UNCG (Master's Degree). While in college, Bill attended the United States Navy's OCS program and was commissioned an Ensign. Bill had a combined 18 years of active and reservist duty in the US Navy. This was a great adventure for him and he was proud of his service. His Navy years also became the basis for a number of his stories.

In addition to being a Naval Officer, he also had careers as a manufacturing manager, farmer, home builder, and real estate broker. But his most cherished career was working with students in his role as a high school vocational and guidance counselor at the Lexington and Davidson County Schools. He remembered each of his students and took exceptional pride in their individual achievements.

Bill and Jo sponsored a total of seven foreign exchange students from Germany, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Mexico, and hosted four teachers from Japan who came on summer exchange programs. Each became a part of the family and have maintained ties over the years.

Loving his life in the Navy, he never gave up his love of life on the water. Second homes, first at High Rock Lake and then on Lake Norman, were filled with family and friends, and saw Bill teaching innumerable people to water ski. Lake fun with his grandchildren, Luke (Ashton), Calvin, Wallis, Quinn, and Sloan, were a highlight of his lake life.

For Bill, life on the farm was to be fun and it always included lots of laughter and good food; and, lots of animals. He adopted American Wild Mustangs through the US Bureau of Land Management, bringing them from Oklahoma to join his Morgan horses in Lexington. There they were broken to ride and made pets, just as his herds of cows were pets; and, he and Jo were never without at least one dog.

Bill is survived by wife, Jo, sons David and Joey (Cathy), and daughter Dee (John), brother Jimmy (Willette) and sister Sara (Phil); his grandchildren, and, 18 of those first cousins. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by a sister, Carolyn, and his in-laws, Paul and Ethel Dayvault.

The family asks that any memorials in Bill's name be made to the Browder Family Cemetery Fund, c/o Margaret Redmon, 7029 NC 8 Hwy S, Germanton, NC, 27019.

A celebration of life will be held May 8, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. at the family cemetery in Germanton.

Burroughs Funeral Home

1382 Hwy 65 West, Walnut Cove, NC 27052