Patricia Davis Purser Faison

Patricia Davis Purser Faison

Born:  December 5, 1951

Died:  July 15, 2020

                An angel of the Lord came to our home on Wednesday at five o’clock and escorted Tricia thru that narrow gate into eternity where she met her savior Jesus Christ face to face.

                The cause of Tricia’s death was Corticobasal Degeneration.  A disease she had been fighting since 2015 without knowing exactly what it’s ugly name was until years later.  Tricia’s health had taken a drastic downward turn over the last year. Tricia is survived by husband Jimmy Faison of Wendell, daughter Meghan Purser Ray and her husband Chris Ray and his son Bryson of Wendell, and Tricia’s sister Beverly Davis Bogus of Canton, GA, also Beverly’s twin sons Bradley and Barrett.  Add to this list lots of favorite relatives.  We can’t forget a whole generation of now young adults in the Central Baptist Church community and in the Boy Scouts of America.  We may as well add the parents of all those young adults and throw in all the senior citizens in our area.

                Tricia was best known for her servant’s heart which was really the love of her savior Jesus Christ shining brightly thru her actions.  Many lives were influenced in her journey thru this life as she was an obedient child of God.  He had called her to his service many years ago.  She was taught how to serve early in life by her Greek father George Pete Davis, a Purple Heart recipient and Joyce Johnson Davis, a British war bride.  Tricia’s parents owned several restaurants at different times in the Raleigh area.  Tricia worked in those restaurants at a young age, so young she had to stand on drink crates to serve customers over the counter. 

                Tricia later served 8 years for her country in the United States Navy Reserves then immediately enlisted in the North Carolina National Guard where she served another 16 years and retired at the rank of Staff Sergeant.  All the while carrying on a career with the State of North Carolina in several divisions including the Dept. of Community Colleges, Governor Morehead School (Board of Directors) and the Dept. of Revenue.  She was honored to be presented the North Carolina Order of The Long Leaf Pine.   

                Along her life’s path Tricia endured the death of her 14 month old son Patrick due to meningitis in 1982, then her father’s death due to cancer in 1984, her first husband Gerald Purser died due to a sudden heart attack when he was only 53 in 1999, then another son named Adam died at the age of 17 in an automobile accident, and then her mother Joyce (Nana) died in 2008 who  had lived with her since George’s death in 1984. 

Having experienced all these losses, she initiated the “Grief Share” program at Central Baptist Church and was asked to be in the promotional video for the National Grief Share Program that has helped so many.  She taught Sunday School over the years with current husband Jimmy to the high school teens, the 2nd, the 3rd, and the 4th grades and led the Senior Adult program at Central for 16 years.  All the while enjoying the planning and directing of lots of weddings, receptions, bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs, birthday parties, showers and family gatherings.

 Arrangements are as follows:

Funeral is Sunday night, July 19th, 7PM at Central Baptist Church Worship Center, 11109 Poole Rd, Wendell, NC  27591. The family ask everyone to wear bright and joyful colors of their favorite team in lieu of black. 
Graveside Monday morning July 20th 10AM at Oakwood Cemetery, 701 Oakwood Ave, Raleigh, NC  27601
Family lunch Monday, July 20th 12 noon at Central Baptist Church. RSVP by noon Saturday July 18th.
In this pandemic and in lieu of a traditional family visitation, we are requesting that  donations be made to Tricia’s favorite charities listed here:

Beyond the Gate Ministries, 6916 Lake Myra Rd, Wendell, NC  27591
Kwagala Missions, kwagalamissions.com 3528 Lillie Branch Dr. Zebulon, NC  27597
Central Baptist Church, 11109 Poole Rd, Wendell, NC  27591
Hephzibah Baptist Church, 1794 Wendell Blvd, Wendell, NC  27591

                When this life comes to an end, will you look back and conclude that you have lived well and significantly? The great tragedy in life is not death; the great tragedy in life is life without purpose.

                Arrangements are by Strickland Funeral Home & Crematory, 103 W. Franklin St., Louisburg.  www.stricklandfuneralhome.net

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