William “Bill” Gumm, 79, of Mebane passed away peacefully at home with his family on Tuesday, September 3, 2019 following a brief battle with cancer. He was a decorated veteran of the United States Navy and after his retirement as a Lieutenant Commander, had a second career as an Industrial Training Director with Alamance Community College.
He graduated with his Bachelor’s from the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, CA and earned his Master’s in Education from the University of North Carolina. He was a diehard Tar Heels fan.
Bill was a faithful and proud member of Hawfields Presbyterian Church, serving in many leadership positions. He had a passion for woodworking and was known to build pieces of furniture for many of his friends and loved ones. Bill also enjoyed travel, especially returning to locations he visited or lived while in the service.
A native of Alamance County, he was the son of Roy and Ruby Gumm. Bill is survived by his wife of 54 years, Phyllis Newton Gumm; his son Robert Gumm of Mebane, daughter Susan Gumm Sullivan and son-in-law Sean Sullivan of Raleigh. Other survivors include his brother Harold Gumm of Saxapahaw; sister Rae Von Gumm Campbell; brother-in-law Raleigh Campbell of Wirtz, Virginia; and sisters-in-law Helen Gumm and Brenda Sawyer. Other survivors include many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brothers Tommy Gumm and Don Gum.
A visitation will be held immediately preceding the 2:00 pm service from 12:45 pm until 1:45 pm on Friday, September 6, 2019 at Hawfields Presbyterian Church located at 2115 South NC Highway 119, Mebane, NC 27302. A reception will be held in the church fellowship hall immediately following the committal service in the church cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice & Palliative Care Center of Alamance-Caswell, 914 Chapel Hill Rd, Burlington, NC 27215. We would like to thank them for their compassionate care of Bill during his final days.
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