Obituaries
Burl Bess Hull
( August 24, 1939 - May 21, 2025 )
Burl Bess Hull, 85, passed away on May 21, 2025, at River Landing in Colfax, NC after a brief illness.
Burl was born one mile west of Flay, a cross road in western Lincoln County, NC to Ralph Clifton Hull and Mary Eva Peeler Hull.
Burl graduated from North Brook High School in Lincoln County. He also graduated from Brevard College and Wake Forest University. He served in the US Army and was stationed at Fort Jackson in Columbia, SC. There he met his true love, Mary Ellen Henley, who was a senior at the University of South Carolina.
After they married in 1965, they moved to Greensboro,NC. where Burl was a sales representative for Parke-Davis (now Pfizer) until he retired in 1995.
He is predeceased in death by his beloved wife, Mary Ellen Henley Hull, his parents and siblings (Roger Peeler, Ruth Hull Plyler, John Hull and Al Hull), and his infant son, John Clifton Hull. He is survived by his daughters, Mary Ellen (Emmy) Biaggi (husband Reto) and Julie Linkous (husband John) and his grandchildren, Chloe Linkous (Caleb Doyon), Claire Biaggi, Jacob Linkous and Alex Biaggi (fiance Katie Hoffman). He is also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews.
Burl and Mary Ellen loved to discover the world together. They made their first trip to Europe in 1987 and fell in love with it, especially Italy. They also visited China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Russia, South America, Africa, India, Bhutan, Egypt and Australia. After their visit to China, Mary Ellen flew home and Burl took the Trans Siberian train by himself from Beijing to Moscow. In 2015, Burl took his two grandsons, Jake and Alex on a 7-day float trip down the Colorado river through the Grand Canyon when the boys were 15 and 14. Burl was 74. He never let fear or age stop him from making memories.
Burl delighted in meeting new people, hearing their stories and sharing a good meal together. Whether he was at home or abroad, you would often find him at a table, surrounded by friends with a drink in hand. The conversation would be peppered with a little teasing and a lot of laughter. This was his happy place.
He found joy in his family - both blood and chosen. He loved those around him fiercely and they loved him back in that same way. His was not a life without trials and tribulations, but he never lost sight of what mattered most - family. But his definition of family was wide - his immediate family, extended family, lifelong friends, his grandchildren’s friends, his church family, his River Landing friends. Burl knitted a wide and strong circle of love and we are grateful for his example. Even in his very last hours, he found moments of joy and reasons to smile. His life was a lesson in love and living joyfully.
Burl was an active member at Guilford Park Presbyterian church and served as a Sunday school teacher, an elder, youth advisor and was part of Stephen Ministry. He was a docent for about 20 years at the Greensboro History Museum. Burl was a guardian ad litem for several years and he donated platelets faithfully until heart surgery in 2017.
Burl’s family would like to thank the amazing staff at River Landing for the love, friendship and care they gave to Burl. A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2025 at 1:00 pm at Guilford Park Presbyterian Church in Greensboro.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Guilford Park Presbyterian Church, Greensboro Urban Ministry or the Greensboro History Museum.
Hanes-Lineberry Funeral Home is serving the family.
Burl was born one mile west of Flay, a cross road in western Lincoln County, NC to Ralph Clifton Hull and Mary Eva Peeler Hull.
Burl graduated from North Brook High School in Lincoln County. He also graduated from Brevard College and Wake Forest University. He served in the US Army and was stationed at Fort Jackson in Columbia, SC. There he met his true love, Mary Ellen Henley, who was a senior at the University of South Carolina.
After they married in 1965, they moved to Greensboro,NC. where Burl was a sales representative for Parke-Davis (now Pfizer) until he retired in 1995.
He is predeceased in death by his beloved wife, Mary Ellen Henley Hull, his parents and siblings (Roger Peeler, Ruth Hull Plyler, John Hull and Al Hull), and his infant son, John Clifton Hull. He is survived by his daughters, Mary Ellen (Emmy) Biaggi (husband Reto) and Julie Linkous (husband John) and his grandchildren, Chloe Linkous (Caleb Doyon), Claire Biaggi, Jacob Linkous and Alex Biaggi (fiance Katie Hoffman). He is also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews.
Burl and Mary Ellen loved to discover the world together. They made their first trip to Europe in 1987 and fell in love with it, especially Italy. They also visited China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Russia, South America, Africa, India, Bhutan, Egypt and Australia. After their visit to China, Mary Ellen flew home and Burl took the Trans Siberian train by himself from Beijing to Moscow. In 2015, Burl took his two grandsons, Jake and Alex on a 7-day float trip down the Colorado river through the Grand Canyon when the boys were 15 and 14. Burl was 74. He never let fear or age stop him from making memories.
Burl delighted in meeting new people, hearing their stories and sharing a good meal together. Whether he was at home or abroad, you would often find him at a table, surrounded by friends with a drink in hand. The conversation would be peppered with a little teasing and a lot of laughter. This was his happy place.
He found joy in his family - both blood and chosen. He loved those around him fiercely and they loved him back in that same way. His was not a life without trials and tribulations, but he never lost sight of what mattered most - family. But his definition of family was wide - his immediate family, extended family, lifelong friends, his grandchildren’s friends, his church family, his River Landing friends. Burl knitted a wide and strong circle of love and we are grateful for his example. Even in his very last hours, he found moments of joy and reasons to smile. His life was a lesson in love and living joyfully.
Burl was an active member at Guilford Park Presbyterian church and served as a Sunday school teacher, an elder, youth advisor and was part of Stephen Ministry. He was a docent for about 20 years at the Greensboro History Museum. Burl was a guardian ad litem for several years and he donated platelets faithfully until heart surgery in 2017.
Burl’s family would like to thank the amazing staff at River Landing for the love, friendship and care they gave to Burl. A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2025 at 1:00 pm at Guilford Park Presbyterian Church in Greensboro.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Guilford Park Presbyterian Church, Greensboro Urban Ministry or the Greensboro History Museum.
Hanes-Lineberry Funeral Home is serving the family.
Posted on 03 Jun 2025
Current Information
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125 Dave Warlick Drive
Lincolnton, NC 28092
704/735-2521