BESANCON, Robert Dr. Robert Besancon of North Charleston, husband of Gladys Besancon, passed away on April 10, 2004 at his residence. The relatives and friends of Dr. Robert Besancon are invited to attend his funeral services on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 at 2:30 p.m. at the Ferndale Baptist Church, 4870 Piedmont Avenue, North Charleston, SC with a graveside service immediately following at Carolina Memorial Park, 7113 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston, SC. The family will receive friends Tuesday, April 13, 2004 from 6-8 p.m. at Ferndale Baptist Church. Robert Besancon was the youngest of six children, born May 14, 1926 in Stryker, Ohio to the union of Paul and Lena Besancon. And, it was while in their home, that eight year old Robert prayed and asked the Lord Jesus Christ into his heart and life - leaving ultimately the direction of the same into His hands. He graduated from Styker High School in 1944 and was without delay, drafted in the US Navy Air Corps where he enrolled as a cadet in the pre-flight training program at Iowa State University, after which he was honorably discharged at the end of WWII. However, while his love of flying never left him, his compassion was still to preach the gospel and tell others about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Therefore, he enrolled as a ministerial student at Bob Jones University where he graduated to become and auto-circuit preacher to three churches in South Georgia, while at the same time teaching the History of Philosophy and New Testament Greek at the University. And, it was while there at BJU that he met his future wife, a teacher of Freshman Speech, Miss Gladys Lee Ison. They were married on August 28, 1950. In 1968, Robert Besancon became the full time pastor of the Ferndale Baptist Church in North Charleston, South Carolina, where with the guidance of the lord and the vision of the church, Ferndale Baptist School began. He retired from this ministry on June 1, 2002. Robert Besancon is survived by his wife, Gladys I. Besancon, and their two children and their families, Charles Besancon and his wife Marty and their children, Adrian and Andre, and Camille Tyrpak and her husband Steve, and their children, Stephanie, David, Holly, and Jenna; three brothers, Paul Besancon, William Besancon, and Richard Besancon. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Ferndale Baptist School. CAROLINA MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME is serving the Besancon family.