EDISTO BEACH :       Emory W. Bunton, husband of Dianne Benton Bunton, passed away Saturday morning surrounded by his loving family.  He was 78.

Mr. Bunton was born January 23, 1940 in Colleton County a son of the late Ansel and Ruby Ramsey Bunton.  He was a retired insurance agent with United Insurance Company of America, and was also a longtime employee of Bell Bouy Seafood on Edisto Island.   Mr. Bunton was a member of the Edisto Beach Baptist Church, and loved fishing, camping, and traveling.  He possessed an outgoing and "happy-go-lucky" personality which made him a friend to everyone he met, as well as a devoted husband, father and grandfather.  He appreciated all he had in life, and everything God had done for him.  He was known to end more than a few sentences with the phrase "I am truly blessed".

In addition to his wife of 54 years, he is survived by his children:  Landis Bunton (Noelle) of Walterboro, and Carol Bunton Seigler ("Buckshot") of Round O.  There are three grandchildren, Amaya, Gage, and Bindi, as well as two step-grandchildren, Cameron and Phillip.  He has one sister, Lucy Blocker of Walterboro, and one half-sister, Betty Fischer (Fred) of North Carolina.  He was preceded in death by an infant son, and by his brother Ansel Bunton.  He only just moved back to his childhood home of Walterboro in the last 6 months, after living on Edisto Island for over 30 years.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday morning at 11:00 in the chapel of Parker-Rhoden Funeral Home, with entombment following in the Mausoleum at Greenlawn Memorial Gardens in Walterboro.  The family will receive friends Monday evening from 6-8 PM at the funeral home.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to either the Edisto Beach Baptist Church, or to the Pine Grove Baptist Church Cemetery.  Parker-Rhoden Funeral Home, 117 Paul Street in Walterboro is in charge of arrangements.