Wilbur R. Traynham

Wilbur R. Traynham, 88 years of age, also known professionally as W. R. Traynham, was born to the late Harrison B. Traynham and the late Hettie Anderson, February, 1932, in Lynchburg, Virginia. On June 27, 2020, his soul continued his journey onto the path of eternal life. Wilbur received his early education in Lynchburg, Virginia, and was formally educated throughout the United States as well as throughout the world. He was a businessman and entrepreneur. During high school, he worked after school at a soda shop and started his own business selling snacks and sweets to his fellow students. With the money he earned, he reinvested to keep his business, and the rest of his earnings would be given to his mother for the family. Wilbur was destined for success and soon outgrew the soda shop and was hired at the Greyhound Bus Station where he met and married Marie C. Richie from Big Island, Virginia. They were married in their early twenties and soon had four daughters: Deborah Forest Adefope (Atlanta, GA), Karon M. Carr (Shelton Carr, Harrisburg, PA), Sylvia E. Rigal (Harrisburg, PA), and Octavia L. Rogers (Saleem Mohammed (Los Angeles, California). Wilbur and Marie sought a better opportunity and made a decision to migrate from the south. So, they left Lynchburg and relocated to Steelton, Pennsylvania. Wilbur worked with his Uncle Bob and learned business management and local Pennsylvania politics. Through experience with a good friend, Wilbur learned the carpet trade and moved to the Capital City of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, to make a dream come true, his own successful business, Traynham’s Carpet Service (Interior and Exterior Decorating). He belonged to a very small elite group of successful Black businessmen in the Capital City. He provided jobs for family members and the community. He was always committed to helping people in many ways. As a successful business owner, he was active in the church, was a Mason and a man many people were proud to call friend. He was a great mentor and a true gentleman. As ambition would have it, he moved to Los Angeles, California, and continued with Traynham’s Carpet Service. During that time, he became extremely active in his church and began to organize worldwide peace missions. He and Brethren of the Institute traveled to the Vatican City (with an audience), parts of Africa, the Mediterranean and many other countries. Wilbur also became interested in security services. He completed a course in Understanding Personal Law and was a member of the California Narcotics Officer Association. With this interest and experience, he became involved with the Academy Awards and helped to develop a weaponless security system for the Academy Awards events. This association led to the retirement of his carpet business; and, subsequently, he accepted full-time employment with Walt Disney in Burbank, California. Wilbur is a member of the Disney Hall of Fame. He traveled the world with Disney and later retired from Walt Disney. Retirement for Wilbur meant the study and research of his favorite subject, his first love and passion, the Holy Bible. Wilbur would and could talk for hours about the scriptures. He would, on occasion, study up to 12 hours a day. He loved teaching Bible truth about YHVH. If you started to recite a scripture, he could finish it with book, chapter and verse. He loved sharing the gospel, the history of the church and the plan of salvation. He was a part of the body of Christ. Wilbur’s hobbies included caring for his lawn and maintaining volumes of family photographs. He loved making his home beautiful and took joy and pride in receiving “Yard of the Month” community recognition. He created a library of information that included family history, politics, religion, world history and many films. Wilbur had, for years, collected photographs of family and friends to such an extent many would mail or text photos for inclusion in his collage of photos. Every visitor and family member would speedily move towards his theater room to look for themselves on the walls or search the many albums of photographs. It was always exciting when a guest would arrive and emerge delighted to have found a picture of themselves. So many stories were revealed in those photos, and Wilbur was the best storyteller of all. He was hospitable and enjoyed entertaining family and friends. Wilbur will be remembered lovingly and warmly as father, dad, daddy, brother, pop-pop, uncle, cousin, friend, neighbor, teacher and, most of all, God-fearing. He is preceded in death by his father and mother; his siblings, Maude Elaine Traynham, Lynchburg, VA, Hawthorne Traynham, Harrisburg, PA, and Etta Price, Philadelphia, PA. He is survived by his brother, Elbert Traynham of Georgia; and the “apples-of-his-eyes,” his sisters, Edyth Jackson of Virginia, and Claire Estelle Adams of New York. Wilbur loved telephone calls with Edyth and Claire, and he loved to tease Edyth. She had her favorite television program, “Judge Judy,” and he would try to call Edyth just minutes before the program would start. Well, you can just imagine how that would go. They would laugh for those few seconds before the show, and Wilbur would end the call with a chuckle and say, “know that I love you.” Wilbur is also survived by his beloved grandchildren, Dennis Traynham, Raechelle Sanford (William), Marie Traynham, Gary Traynham, Joshua Berry, Mya Rogers, Michael Rogers, Terri Turner, Taneka and DeArloe Mayo; and extended family, Laverne Cooper, Jeffrey Peggues Jr., Russell Peggues, Wesley Peggues, Kelly Leno Wilson and Elaine Kelley. The grandchildren called their grandfather regularly, and he enjoyed knowing that they adored him. Wilbur will be remembered by great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, cousins, nieces and many, many nephews. In loving memory, Wilbur will also be remembered by family and friends as a loving father, a doting grandparent, but also as an intelligent and articulate man, a successful businessman, a Bible Scholar, a world traveler, a good listener, a compassionate man, champion for the underclass, widows, orphans, those in prison, and someone you could always come to for love and understanding. He never judged harshly, and he made everyone feel special and worthy of all the blessings of life. Farewell Beloved, Until We Meet Again!

Tributes

Wilbur R. Traynham

June 27, 2020