Paul "Maynard" Southern Obituary (1945 - 2022)

STOKESDALE - Paul "Maynard" Southern, 77, passed away Saturday morning, September 24, 2022. A funeral service will be held at 2 pm on Thursday, September 29th, at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church with burial to follow in the church cemetery. Mr. Southern will lie in state on Wednesday from 3 pm to 7 pm at Colonial Funeral Home & Chapel in Madison. A lifetime resident of Rockingham County, NC, Maynard was born March 27, 1945 to the late Paul Edward Southern and Elizabeth Hopper Southern. He was a retiree of SunTrust Bank of Stokesdale after 39 years in the banking industry. To quote an article written about him in 2006 in the Northwest Observer upon his retirement, "He has always believed more in people and what they say they'll do than in just looking at the finances." Following his retirement from the bank, he continued his passion for farming and tending his cattle right up until the end. Maynard will be remembered as a very kind and loving man who loved and cared for his family as well as other families and friends. His devotion to his church and community will never be forgotten. He is survived by his two sons, Dewayne Maynard Southern and wife, Karen of Raleigh and Derek Ligon Southern and wife, Jenny of Stokesdale; six grandchildren, Claire, Emily, Matthew, Ellie, Katherine and Erick; brother, Roger Southern of Stokesdale and sister, Jackie McCollum of Madison. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Mary Kathleen Ligon Southern and his sister, Patsy Southern Moore. Memorial contributions may be made to Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, 3708 Ellisboro Road, Stokesdale, NC 27357. Colonial Funeral Home & Chapel in Madison is serving the family. Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.colonialfh.net