Rev. Raymond Lewis Burkart

Autryville

Rev. Raymond Lewis Burkart, 69 went to be with his Lord and Savior on Sunday, March 23, 2025 at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center surrounded by his family.

A Celebration of Ray’s Life will be held 2:00 PM Thursday, March 27, 2025 at Salem Methodist Church in Eastover.  The family will receive friends from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM Thursday at the church before the service.

Burial with full military honors will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.

Ray graduated from Indiana University, and he loved night basketball games. Ray also retired as a Colonel from the United States Marines and was the Pastor for Cokesbury Methodist Church in Stedman, and Bethabara Methodist Church in Autryville, where he loved playing church bingo.  Ray never met a stranger, was kind to everyone he met, and often invited people to his home on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  He was one of a kind and will be truly missed by all who knew him.

He was born in Baltimore, Maryland to the late, Lewis Edward Burkart, Jr. and Jenna Lee Nicholson Burkart.  In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his son, Asher Burkart.

He leaves to cherish his memory, his wife, Laura Burkart; children, Jessie Wise (Joel), Emma Sills, Shelton Burkart, Harrison Burkart, Lelia Cortese (Tyler), Margaret Rostirolla (Daniel), Jenna Swaby (Raheim), Emma Welker (Drew), and Kayla O’Gorman (Brandon); grandchildren, May Sills, Remy Sills, Enid Wise, Topanga Swaby, and a Baby Boy Welker on the way; and his sister, Deborah Canonico.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cokesbury Methodist Church 7536 Clinton Road, Stedman, NC  28391, or to Bethabara Methodist Church, 5316 Maxwell Road, Autryville, NC  28318.

Services entrusted to Butler Funeral Home, 6535 Clinton Road, Stedman, NC 28391.