Obituary

Frank Baylus Whorton (May 3, 1925 - October 12, 2008) FRANK BAYLUS WHORTON, SR. went to be with Jesus on the Lord’s Day, Sunday, October 12, 2008. He was born in Rappahannock County, Virginia on May 3, 1925. He was the 7th of 13 children of Henry Taylor and Lillie Margaret Cloud Whorton. Baylus is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Lois Carolyn Utz; four children, Linda Winstead, Jackie Rawlings, Frank Baylus Whorton II and Vickie Watts; six grandchildren, Heather Whorton Meade, Carson Winstead, Melissa Whorton Garza, Jessica Rawlings, PFC Frank Baylus Whorton III currently serving in Afghanistan and Nathan Rawlings; four great grandsons; one great granddaughter; three step grandchildren and five step great grandchildren; three sisters, Ressie Utz, Mary Elizabeth Dodson and Eunice Whorton and numerous nieces and nephews. Baylus served in the U.S. Navy during World War II in the South Pacific aboard the USS McDermut (DD-677) and was awarded ten battle stars for his service. He has been a member of the Washington Area Carpenters Union since 1949. He and Lois are charter members of Centreville Assembly of God where Baylus served as trustee, song leader, Sunday School teacher, member of the jail ministry team and deacon for 27 years. He and Lois worked in the nursing home ministry for over 20 years. Baylus loved to hunt, fish and the Blue Ridge Mountains and beginning in 1971, faithfully kept a daily diary. Besides his love for his wife, “his babies and grandbabies,” Baylus had a passion for Jesus and wanted to share with everyone the difference his personal relation with Jesus had made in his life. In addition to his parents, Baylus was preceded in death by his six brothers, Charles, Robert, Johnny, Roy, Dee and George; three sisters, Grace Corbin, Virginia Clatterbuck and Lou Ada Brown. The family will receive friends from 7:00-9:00 P.M. Friday, October 17, 2008 at Pierce Funeral Home, 9609 Center Street, Manassas. Funeral services will be held 1:00 P.M. Saturday, October 18, 2008 at Manassas Assembly of God, 11500 New Life Way, Bristow, Virginia. Interment will follow at Stonewall Memory Gardens, Manassas with military honors. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of flowers, or contributions to Rehabilitation Fund for Wounded Soldiers, c/o Dave Reover, P.O. Box 136130, Fort Worth, Texas 76136 in loving memory of Frank Whorton, Sr.

Pictures from Daddy's Funeral

The sunset on October 18, 2008, evening of Daddy's Funeral.



Daddy was a WWII Navy Veteran. He was given a Military Honors Burial.

In the Navy, during the war, the custom was to bury them at sea at sunset.


TAPS


Two Honor Guards watch over Daddy during the service.



Daddy is being carried by his grandchildren: Nathan Rawlings, Jessica Rawlings (she is standing in for "Bubba" a.k.a. Frank Whorton III), Carson Winstead, his brother in laws, Jerry Buchanan and Joel Grizzle, his nephews Danny Whorton and 2 Corbin boys (Aunt Grace's boys)



Daddy arrives at Stonewall Memorial Garden with Honor Guard Saluting his arrival.




Entire family singing, I will meet you in the Morning just inside the Eastern Gate over there!




Daddy's grand-daughter and nurse during his final days, Jessica "Whorton" Rawlings




Daddy's grand-daughter, Melissa Whorton-Garza. She's a mother of 3 boys, 1 girl. Daughter of Frank Whorton II



Daddy's first grand-daughter, Heather "Jane" Whorton-Meade. She is a mother of 1 son, and daughter of Frank Whorton II



Jackie Whorton-Rawlings sharing Daddy's humor. Marke Rawlings in background.


Mom with Kedric and Thelma Chambers. Kedric was one of Daddy's favorite friends and they often hunted together. I remember once they had some scheme to make a trip to Alaska. They never made it. Maybe there are things to hunt in heaven just for them!


Mom with Kedric & Thelma Chambers, again.




Kelly Grizzle-Woods w/back to camera talking with Daddy's former pastor, Rev. Godfrey and his wife.



Saturday, October 18, 2008 Manassas Assembly of God Church
1 PM



Daddy's favorite band, the "Whorton Reunion" band.

Daddy has gone home.....

It's been a while since I was on blogging and much has happen.

On October 12, 2008 at 2:25AM my Daddy peacefully closed his eyes and went to be with Jesus.

I will miss him more than words can ever express but I know he is in a better place and he is no longer in pain.

Now we are left with our memories and the fun times we spent with him. His humor and his hilarious writings in his diary. Even more importantly, he left us with a shining example of how to live our lives so that when it comes our time to close our eyes in death...we will be ready.

We didn't have a normal funeral, we had a celebration of his life. It was 2 hours and 19 minutes (this according to the videographer) Dad had always said he hated "creeeeppping" funerals, especially those that are for Christians and you know they are in a better place.

By Dad's request, there was live music played by his son Frank, his nephews Bobbi, Ronnie,Gary, Marty Whorton, his son-in-law "Smokey" Jim Winstead, his grandson Carson Winstead, his brother in law Joel Grizzle, and a great nephew Joshua Baird, and one other friend on the Dobro. Dad's favorite songs were played by the bluegrass family band which consisted of piano, accordion, banjo, Dobro, steel guitar, rhythm guitar, mandolin, drums, upright bass.

For the service, Dad's nieces Kelly Grizzle-Woods & JoAnn Grizzle-Baird along with,"Smokey" and Joel Grizzle sang and played with the band some of Dad and Mom's favorite songs.

Dad's grandchildren all wrote a note to him and each read it. Dad's grandson, Frank B. Whorton III was unable to attend as he is in active Army duty in Afghanistan. The service took a moment to stop and say a special prayer for FB a.k.a "Bubba".

Dad's daughter, Jackie Rawlings had written some funny things that Dad had done throughout the years that had cracked us all up. Marke Rawlings, Dad's son-in-law, also spoke about Dad and his incredible example he had always, everyday, set in front of all of us.

Mom had wrote Dad a letter which Davide Baird read, it was incredible. It made me remember the song that was played on their 50th Wedding Anniversary..."If they want to see how true love should be....they'll just look at us! Chances are, we'll go down in history...when they want to see how true love should be...they'll just look at us".

The service included congregational singing and joining on the stage with the band and singers was Dad's daughters, Linda Whorton-Winstead, Jackie Whorton-Rawlings and Vickie Whorton-Watts.

The closing was video complied of photos of Dad's 83 years of life with his children singing in the background, Led by the Master's Hand, Sheltered In His Arms, Thank You Lord for Your Blessings on Me.

The final song played was my Daddy singing in 1954.....

"This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through. My treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven's open door, and I can't feel at home in this world any more.
Oh Lord you know, I have no friend like you. If heaven's not my home, tell me Lord what would I do. The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door and I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

Daddy always said to bury him under a hickory tree, we did the next best thing; he was laid to rest in a hickory casket at Stonewall Memorial Gardens in Gainesville, Virginia