Bobbye Shumaker Draughon

Bobbye S. Draughon, 81, passed away from a sudden illness on January 31, 2020 at Rex Hospital in Raleigh, NC. She was born in Memphis, TN to Joseph Albert Shumaker and Esther Mae Dudley Shumaker. She was predeceased by her husband, Garl Draughon, and her grandson, Samuel Lawrence Draughon.

Bobbye graduated in 1956 from Humes High in Memphis, the same high school Elvis Presley attended three years earlier. Bobbye graduated from the Mississippi State College for Women in 1960.  She went on to teach school in Hampton, VA at Buckroe Junior High and Hampton High, serving as both an English and French teacher while advising the school's theater and drama departments. In 1970, Bobbye and her husband, Garl Draughon, moved to North Carolina, where both were employed as teachers in Yadkin and Davie counties. In 1974, Bobbye earned a Masters degree from Appalachian State University and became a Special Education teacher. She worked at Pinebrook Elementary in Farmington, Davie Co., before becoming part of the local staff for the nearby Northwest Regional Education Center in Wilkesboro, one of eight such centers in the state.

Following her only son's move to Raleigh in 1980, Bobbye soon came to work for legislative services for North Carolina's Department of Public Instruction.  In 1985, while working with a number of state legislators, including Rep. Bob Etheridge, Rep. Billy Watkins, Rep. Margaret "Pinky" Hayden, and Sen. Kenneth Royall and Sen. Marvin Ward, Bobbye worked behind the scenes in NCDPI's Dept. of Policy and Planning to help develop and implement the state's historic new Basic Education Plan, a then unprecedented infusion of state funds toward public education over eight years, with the goal of providing a comprehensive basic education for all students in North Carolina. After overseeing rollout of the BEP, Bobbye went on to help create the pilot Career Development Program, working under the auspices of then State Superintendent Craig Phillips and later State Supt. Bob Etheridge. She also worked on staff development issues at the Principal's Institute. Bobbye continued working for DPI through the General Assembly's adoption of the School Improvement and Accountability Act. Bobbye finished her career at DPI making the rounds of state schools that were under-performing on state benchmarks and helping to design individualized programs to help correct failing schools. She retired from state employment in 2000, receiving The Order of the Long Leaf Pine from then Gov. Jim Hunt in that year.

Throughout her long career in teaching and public service, Bobbye contributed to every major mainstream educational research and development program implemented in the state of North Carolina between 1980 and 2000. She was a much sought after consultant on issues affecting the education of exceptional children. She was known as a creative problem solver whose forte was designing activities that helped teachers devise engaging lessons for their students.

After retiring, Bobbye loved spending time with her husband, children and grandchildren. She enjoyed reading, watching movies, discussing politics and the company of her cats.

Bobbye is survived by her half-brother Patrick McNaughton, and step-siblings Neil McNaughton and Judy McNaughton Kreisher.  Also surviving is her only son Dennis Draughon; daughter-in-law Megan Draughon; granddaughter Frances  Draughon and grandson Charles Draughon, all of Clayton, NC.

The family will received friends from 5:00 PM -7:00 PM, Thursday February 13th at Montlawn Funeral Home. A Memorial Service will immediately follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Women's Center of Wake County or the Helen Wright Center in Bobbye's name.