William A. Joyner, Sr.

William A. Joyner, Sr.

March 12, 1923 – November 28, 2013

William A. “Billy” Joyner, Sr., 90, of the Coopers Community in Nash County passed away Thursday at Wilson Medical Center after a short period of declining heath.  Funeral services will be held 7 p.m. Saturday at Joyner’s Funeral Home.  A graveside service will be conducted 2 p.m. Sunday in Evergreen Memorial Park, Wilson.  The Rev. Jerry Braziel will officiate. The family will receive friends Saturday evening immediately following the service at Joyner’s Funeral Home, 4100 Raleigh Road Parkway, Wilson and other times at the home of Al Joyner. Billy was born March 12, 1923 to the late F.R. and Mae Redmon Joyner.  He served in the US Air Force during World War II.  Billy was a farmer, Ag businessman and community leader in his earlier years.  Along with A.D. Lewis, they started the Coopers Ruritan Club that later established Coopers Volunteer Fire Department.  He was last surviving charter member of both organizations.  He received the Ruritan National top award The Tom Downing Fellow.  Billy was chairman of the Nash County ASCS office for a number of years and was proactive in many agriculture related organizations.   Later in his life, he owned and operated American Southern Realty in Raleigh until the late 1990’s.  He was a friend to many never meeting a stranger and he never spoke an unkind word toward anyone. Billy is survived by his son, William A. “Al” Joyner, Jr., and wife, Peggy of Elm City; his grandsons, Brian Joyner and wife, Tammy of Elm City, Rodney Joyner and wife, Shannon of Elm City and Christopher Joyner and wife, Kimberly of Nashville and his great-granddaughters, Logan, Chesney, and Delaney Joyner. He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 54 years, Lula Gupton Joyner; his parents, Fonsie R. Joyner and Mae Redmon Joyner and his sister, Willa Lee Joyner Little. Flowers are welcome or memorials may be directed to the Cooper’s Ruritan Club, 896 Macedonna Road, Spring Hope, NC  27882 or the Cooper’s Fire Department, 3628 Volunteer Road, Elm City, NC  27822.  Condolences may be directed to www.joyners.net.