Lola Mae Gore Burgess

Lola Mae Gore Burgess of The Preserve Condo Community in Oak Island passed away on June 11th , 2025.

Lola was born at Dosher Memorial Hospital in Southport in 1940 to Ernest F. (Skeet) and Elena Barnhill (Red) Gore. A brother, Ernest Jr., predeceased her in 1948.

Lola graduated from Southport High School in 1958 where she was a cheerleader and played on the basketball team. While in high school, she played ball during the girl’s game and cheered during the boys’ game. Lola worked for Jimmy Harper, owner/publisher of The State Port Pilot, and wrote two columns for his newspaper during her high school years entitled “Summer Snooper” and “High Times”.

Lola was indeed a terrific jitterbug and shag dancer, dancing nightly during the summer with all her Southport High School friends at the beaches and in Southport.

After graduating from Wingate College, she moved to Raleigh where she interned at Rex Hospital in Medical Records and where she met her husband, Bob, at a fraternity party at N.C. State University.

Lola married Bob Burgess of Elon, N.C. in 1962 at the Southport Baptist Church and spent 45 years with her family in Houston and Silsbee, Texas where she served as Executive Vice President of the Silsbee Chamber of Commerce for 25 years, retiring in 2005.  During her tenure at the Chamber of Commerce in Texas she was responsible for raising $30,000 in the community to help Silsbee native and WWF star, Mark Henry, train and compete in weightlifting in the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain and Atlanta, Georgia.

Lola was very involved in economic development in Silsbee and Southeast Texas.  She was recognized on the Texas State House and Senate Floor during the 2006 Legislative Session for her outstanding contributions to the community of Southeast Texas.  She was named a “Yellow Rose of Texas”, by Governor Rick Perry in February, 2005 in recognition of her contributions to Silsbee and Hardin County. This award is one of the highest honors awarded to women by the Governor’s office in the State of Texas. Lola was also named Silsbee’s Outstanding Citizen of the Year in 2005 by the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Lola served as President of the Silsbee Little Theater, acted in many plays and formed a Little Theater band called “Fifth Street”, where she played the piano and drums.  She also wrote a weekly column for the local newspaper, The Silsbee Bee, for many years entitled ‘Talk of the Town:”

She is survived by her loyal and loving husband of 63 years, Bob Burgess of The Preserve, and her beloved son, Dr. Rob Burgess, Jr. and his wife Jane, granddaughter, Zoie Mae Burgess, and grandson, Robert Marshall Burgess, III  (Bobby), all of Lakeway, Texas.

She also leaves behind her 1st cousin Jean Fullwood Hilburn, and family members Mike and wife Shelly Fullwood, Alexandria Fullwood, Hannah &; husband Clayton Otto, Michayla Fullwood, Steve and wife Jill Fullwood, Stephen and wife Alisha Fullwood, Nancy &; son Troy Guyton Fullwood, Sonny and wife Loralie Holden and many Southport High School classmates and good friends and neighbors at The Preserve.

A celebration of Lola’s life will be held at The Preserve clubhouse on Monday, June 23rd at 5pm.

In lieu of flowers, condolences in Lola’s memory may be made to the  Southport-Oak Island Animal Rescue, 3376 St. Charles Place, Southport, N.C. 28461, Southport Oak Island and Animal Rescue, 3376 St. Charles Place S.E., Southport, N.C. 28461 or Sea Biscuit Wildlife Shelter, 1638 E. Beach Drive, Oak Island, N.C. 28465.