Courtland – Mary Vaughan Raiford, 86, passed away September 13, 2017 at Southampton Memorial Hospital. She was born in Boykins, VA on October 4, 1930 to G. Ellis Harris and Linwood Bryant Harris and was also predeceased by a brother Edward B. "Buster" Harris and a daughter-in-law Sylvie Berry Raiford. She graduated from Courtland High School as Valedictorian of her class and graduated from James Madison College (James Madison University) with honors and was a member of the Honorary Sorority of Phi Beta Kappa. She taught high school business classes for 30 years. She was a member of Burdette Baptist Church and taught the Adult Class for many years. She loved the Outer Banks of North Carolina and she and her family looked forward to going there for the summer as soon as she got out of school. She loved to crab and fish there.

Left to cherish her memory is her husband of 58 years, Merritt L. Raiford, her daughter Lynn W. King (Delford) of Rawlings, VA, her son Daniel M. Raiford of Burdette, five grandchildren, Chris King, Katie King Slagle (Jonathan), Kelly King Jones (Brandon), Jennifer Raiford Domer (Sean) and Jeffrey Raiford, six great grandchildren, , one sister-in-law Ann Harris, two nephews, Bob Harris and Dr. George Edward Maitland (Dr. Teresa Maitland) all of Raleigh.

A graveside funeral will be held at 2PM Sunday September 17, 2017 in Beechwood Cemetery Boykins, VA with Rev. Kenneth Williams and Rev. Raymond Bunn officiating. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8PM Saturday in Wright Funeral Home, Franklin and at other times at the home of Jennifer and Sean Domer, 32024 Unity Rd., Sedley. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Burdette Baptist Church in c/o Vanessa Bailey, 23297 Indiantown Rd. Courtland, VA 23837. The family would like to thank the doctors and nurses of Southampton Memorial Hospital for their loving care while Mary Vaughan was there. www.wrightfuneralhome.org