David Earl Rathburn

David Earl Rathburn, 84, of 40 Woodgate Drive, Asheville, died Thursday, October 24, 2002, in an Asheville hospital. Mr. Rathburn was born in Yancey County and was a son of the late Reggie Columbus and Laura Ogle Rathburn. He was married to Ulah Lee Buchanan Rathburn, formerly of Sylva, who died Dec 1, 2000. He was an Army veteran of WW II and served in the European Theater as well as throughout Africa, Sicily and Italy in the 760 Tank Battallion. He was a former employee of American Enka and of the VA Medical Center and retired from the circulation department of the Asheville Citizen-Times. He was an active member and former deacon of Malvern Hills Presbyterian Church where he was a member of the Searchers Sunday school class. He is survived by a sister, Madge McMahan of Burnsville; a brother, Vernon Rathburn and his wife India of Easley, SC; eight nieces, Joanie Scruggs and her husband Terry, Connie Buchanan, Lynda Burroughs, Brenda Hopper, Cecilia Morgan, Jean Carr, Phyllis Ray and Doris Wheeler; and nine nephews, Reggie Rathburn, Dean Rathburn, Vance Silver, Bill McMahan, Ronnie McMahan, Randy McMahan, Nick Buchanan, Sam Buchanan and Coleman Buchanan. Funeral services will be at 4:00 pm Saturday at Malvern Hills Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Doug Tilley officiating. Burial will be at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Pall bearers are Paul Tyndall, Paul Ford, Gerald Sluder, Tom Gibson, Glen Mahaffey and Bob Hughes. Honorary pall bearers are Howard Buchanan, Harold Woody, Ron Lytle and Bob Ray. His family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church and request that memorials be made to Malvern Hills presbyterian Church, 2 Bear Creek Road, Asheville, NC 28806.