Michael Lee Culbreth

Mr. Michael Lee Culbreth, 83, of Boonville passed away peacefully at home on September 25, 2023 from cancer. Born August 7th, 1940, he was the son of the late Grey and Chrystine Culbreth. Raised in Chapel Hill, NC, Michael fiercely enjoyed ACC basketball (GO TARHEELS!) and a wide variety of other interests that included: electrical work and tinkering with gadgets, flying drones (and crashing them in trees), billiards, photography, Ham radios, bird watching, fishing, martial arts, racing, and anything MOPAR. Michael had extensive knowledge of alarm systems, and he often assisted various companies and the elderly by maintaining their alarm equipment for free. He believed in being a servant to his community. He was a founding member of the Forsyth Rescue Squad and retired after 30 years of service with Forsyth County EMS. In his retirement, he delivered food for Meals on Wheels. When dining out, Michael would pay for the meal of a stranger. Most of all, he loved his family and many friends. He is survived by four daughters, Elizabeth Culbreth Pritchard (Travis) and children Lauren and Jacob; Christine Grey Culbreth; Jamie Michelle Utt and children Riley and Carson; Amanda Lee Utt and son Luke; and his son, Alan Ritter (Joyce) and children Jennifer Ayers, Regina Ritter and Skylar Ritter. He is also survived by his sisters, Susan Blackburn (Glenn) and Dorothy Marie Gabriel, and his brother Bob Ballance (Karen) and many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his dedicated, loving wife of 50 years, Betty Dillard Culbreth; his sister, Patricia Culbreth Deane; and grandson, Dawson Alexander Joyce. A memorial service will take place at 2:00 PM, Thursday, September 28, 2023, at Hayworth Miller on Silas Creek Parkway. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM, prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Meals on Wheels foundation or the American Cancer Society.