Reverend Carlton Gene Booker

Reverend Carlton Gene Booker of Asheboro died Tuesday evening, November 24th, 2020. He was 90 years old. Pastor Booker was born June 15th,1930 to Charles Samuel and Naomi Jackson Booker. The youngest of eight children he was raised in Rockingham County near Reidsville where his father was a sharecropper. His family attended Fairview Baptist Church, and it was there he met his wife of 69 and a half years, Bobbie Jean Alcorn. She was the jewel of his heart and his eternal sweetheart. Gene and Bobbie Jean were married on June 9th, 1951. In the coming years the Lord would bless them with four daughters. In time, their family further grew to include four son-in-laws, nine grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. God called Gene to ministry in a very compelling and personal way, and he accepted the challenge, but not without reservation. He entered Wake Forest University at its new Winston-Salem location in the fall of 1956 as a 26-year-old freshman with two children. He attended classes during the day,and worked at Sears Roebuck during the evening to support his family. With God's unfailing support he graduated in 1961. After graduation, Gene entered Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. During these years he pastored and preached on the weekend, left each Monday morning for the town of Wake Forest to reside on campus, and returned each Friday to his wife and kids. Bobbie worked to support the family during the week. Never missing an opportunity to give her recognition he would say his wife Bobbie also earned her degree in P.H.T. (Putting Hubby Through). Over the next 40 years, Gene pastored four churches - Jessup Grove Baptist, Ellisboro Baptist, First Baptist Church of Robbins, and Rocky River Baptist. In "retirement" he served as the interim pastor for 13 other churches and was, for a time, interim Director of Missions for the Randolph Baptist Association. His life was one of community volunteerism to many nonprofit organizations, and to the North Carolina Baptists. He served on several NC Baptist Convention committees, among them the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention. He was on the Board of Trustees to Wake Forest Baptist Health, as well as the Benevolent Committee there. Gene was a man of great faith, integrity, and determination. He ministered to others and in all ways showed the love of Christ. He was uncompromising in the truth of the gospel, walked daily with His Lord, and epitomized the hope we have in our faith. He was a humble and generous man, devoted to charitable causes that benefitted others, and he never failed to give glory and praise to his heavenly Father. He once prayed at a friend's funeral "having fought the good fight, having stayed the course, and having kept the faith, May God grant you the crown of life, that does not fade away." How appropriate that he now wears that same crown. He will be laid to rest in the Fairview Baptist Church cemetery in Reidsville in a graveside service surrounded by family. Gene is survived by his wife, Bobbie Jean, as well as his daughters, Hope Booker Haywood, Joyce Booker Lewis, Jeanne Booker Eaker, and Jennifer Booker Baker. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Cross Road Retirement Community, ATTN: Financial Director, 1302 Old Cox Road, Asheboro, NC 27205. Write "Endowment Fund" in the memo section of the check. His family welcomes your expressions of sympathy, or stories you may share about how Gene Booker impacted your life. Those may be shared at www.pughfuneralhome.com.