Willard "Will" Rayborn, Sr.

Hardworking, fun, and funny, Willard "Will" Rayborn, Sr. lived a life rich in faith, family, and friends. Will knew how to have a good time. Quick-witted and charismatic, he was always cutting it up with people. Whether confidently facing life's challenges or celebrating good times, Will always led with his heart. He embodied the principles of his faith, welcoming each day as a gift and every person as a friend. Will's family was his greatest joy, and he relished every moment he shared with those he so deeply loved. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, Will will long be remembered and so dearly missed.

1952 found most Americans considering themselves to be prospering. As the iconic musical film "Singin' In The Rain" premieres at Radio City Music Hall, the popular Mr. Potato Head toy was first sold, and the world's first passenger jet, The Comet, was produced, signaling the start of faster and cheaper air travel. The middle-class standard of living continued to grow and appeared to have no boundaries; it was definitely a time of much hope. Nowhere was there greater cause to celebrate the possibilities of hope than in the hearts and home of the Rayborn family as they welcomed their son Willard on May 8, 1952.

The youngest of the seven children, Will was a little spoiled by his older siblings. When he stole his siblings' candy, they would catch him and hang him upside down until the candy fell out of his pockets. Will's parents were farmers south of Orlando, Florida; however, they moved their family north when Will was quite young. Though Will had whooping cough as a child, he also had a keen interest in how things worked. A member of the Poarch Band of Creek Indian, Will's mom was full-blood. Will was Native American and proud of it.

A hard worker, Will could fix anything and everything. He was a farmer and a master of all. An excellent bricklayer, Will worked on sidewalks and chimneys. Very proud of what he did, Will was an excellent role model for others.

Will was built like a bulldog and he met his future wife in Home Economics class at Paw Paw High School. Despite the fact that Will's hard-boiled egg blew up and stuck to the ceiling when he didn't put enough water in the pan, Sherry agreed to attend the Halloween dance with him. They didn't stay at the dance for long. Instead, they went to a friend's house, where Will got his guitar out, and while probably playing Freebird, He said to Sherry, “ He got a kiss from her” , referring to their friends, “ Do I get a kiss?” She kissed him on the cheek and stole his heart for life.

The couple married and were blessed to welcome six children to their family. Willard Jr., Joey, Drew, Christina, and Shannon, were the centers of their worlds, and they worked hard to provide them a loving and supportive home. Will instilled a deep pride for their Native American roots and his deep love for his Father and Savior, Jesus Christ in his children, while modeling the values of family, hard work, and joy for the simple things in life. They will long remember how he loved to play and scare them by flexing his muscles and ripping his shirt like the Hulk.

A man of many interests, Will found much happiness building model cars, collecting baseball caps, fishing, and above all, playing music for his Lord. He knew of lots of honey holes, small inland lakes where he enjoyed fishing with Sherry. They would say “ She would catch them, he would clean them, she would cook them and he would eat them. Music was a lifelong love for Will. He played guitar, banjo, mandolin, keyboard, drums, and harmonica. He taught lots of people how to play, saying, "I learned them" versus "I taught them." Playing lead guitar and singing back up, Will and his band would play in the garage and play forever. Sherry would have to turn the power off to get everyone to leave. A Christian, after playing in his rock band for many years, Will started "God's Little People Band" with his Sherry and their son Andy and others.

Will loved his bananas, chicken, meat loaf, southern and soul food, and knew to bring a loaf of bread, to calm his stomach, when he ate out at Chinese restaurants. He and Sherry enjoyed trimming the grapes together. They were a great team; he trimmed, and she tied. A dog lover, Will had four dogs. He also loved long hair, often pointing out girls with long hair and saying "Look at that hair!"

After working many different jobs over the years, Will retried as a forklift driver at Knouse Foods, a co-op of American family farmers who produce and sell apple products in Paw Paw, Michigan. After his retirement he and Sherry would enjoy traveling.

After undergoing a triple bypass about four years ago, followed by a pacemaker, Will died peacefully in his sleep on July 21, 2024.

Though the world feels far less certain in the absence of Will's steadfast companionship, we celebrate his wonderful life and the many memories we were so blessed to share with him. May we also find much comfort in the honor of carrying Will's legacy forward. In each moment we lead with our hearts, choose faith over fear, cast our lines in local waters, enjoy good music, face the day with confidence and grace, and cherish our loved ones, we keep Will's vibrant spirit alive and inspiring others as he so inspired each of us.

Willard "Will" Rayborn, of Breedsville, MI, was preceded in death by all of his siblings: Alice, Wendy, Vera, Ruth, Kathryn, and Beder, Jr. and his son Jerry. Will is survived by his wife of 51 years, Sherry; 5 children: Willard Rayborn Jr, Joey (Katie) Rayborn, Drew Rayborn, Christina (Shane) Stephens, and Shannon Pitcock; grandchildren: Willard III, Chante, Journey, Atrejui, Ariel, Aidan, Ashton, Mariah, Drew Jr., Malaya, Darien, Kaitlin, Isiah, Saatvika, Kane, Kyah, Mary, Harley, Trinity, Sashanna and Caidence; great-grandchildren: Julius, Sterling, Mya, Mila, AJ, Noah, Samatha, Carson, and Jazmine and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Please join us at a Life Story Visitation on Monday, July 29, 2024 from 4-8PM at the Betzler & Thompson Life Story Funeral Home, 60900 M-40, Paw Paw, MI 49071 (269) 657-3870 where services will be held on Tuesday, July 30, 2024 at 11AM. Cremation will follow. Celebrate Will’s life online by sharing your favorite stories and photos on his dedicated webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com

“ That’s what I got your Mom for”. – Willard Rayborn