Obituary of William Branch

William Durham Branch Mr. Branch, 90, of Charlotte, NC died on June 9, 2011 at the Levine & Dickson Hospice House in Huntersville. He was born on April 26, 1921 in Lumberton, NC, son of the late Ellis and Lessie Bowen Branch. Mr. Branch is a veteran of the United States Army, serving during World War II. After the war he joined the Charlotte Police Department, retiring as a Seargent in 1979. In addition to his parents, Mr. Branch was preceded in death by his step-mother, Vivian Branch and a son, Michael Branch. He is survived by his wife, Verona S. Branch; son, Roger Branch; daughter, Lessie Wise and her life partner, Tina Pratt; grandsons, Griffin Branch and John Branch; granddaughter, Jennifer Garrity and her husband, Chris; brother, Charles English and his wife, Trilby; and brother-in-law, Ronnie Stone and his wife, Ruth. Funeral service will be held at 1:00 PM, Monday, June 13, 2011 in the chapel of Hankins & Whittington Funeral Service, 1111 East Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28203. Entombment with military honors will follow in the mausoleum at Sharon Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Sunday, June 12, 2011 from 5:00 until 7:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children, 950 West Faris Rd. Greenville, SC 29605 or to Hospice & Palliative Care Lake Norman, 705 Griffith St. Suite 203, Davidson, NC 28036.