William Wesley Burton, Jr., "Rusty", 74, of Charlotte, North Carolina passed away on July 20, 2022 after battling cancer for almost seven years. Rusty was born July 12, 1948 in Reidsville, North Carolina. He will be remembered most for his infectious laugh, his booming voice, and his willingness to do anything for his family and friends.

Rusty graduated from East Mecklenburg High School in 1966 and later received a degree in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He served in the U.S. Army Special Forces, 82nd Airborne Division, as a medic and paratrooper during the Vietnam War.

He married his wife, Janice, in 1975 and they enjoyed 47 years together until his death. They raised two children, Taylor and Whitney.

The joy of Rusty’s life was his family. He was very involved in his children’s lives and spent many years coaching their soccer teams and serving as a Boy Scout leader. Despite his inability to travel for years due to his illness, he made the trip to South Africa in November of 2021 for his daughter’s wedding. He became a grandfather this past March to granddaughter Lucille and treasured every moment that he spent with her.

“Slow down” was simply not in Rusty’s vocabulary. He had a passion for woodworking and was always working on several projects. He could fix just about anything and had more tools than a hardware store. He enjoyed sharing his tools and his vast knowledge with family, friends and anyone who asked for help.

He was preceded in death by his father, Wesley, mother, Betty, sister, Suzie, and most recently, his youngest brother, Mark. He is survived by his wife Janice, children Taylor (Zan) and Whitney (Donovan), his brother Rick (Pam), sister Brenda, granddaughter Lucille, and many nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, August 20 at 2pm at Matthews Presbyterian Church, 207 W. John St., Matthews, NC 28105. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Matthews Presbyterian Church or to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 4600 Park Rd #100, Charlotte, NC 28209.