William O. Solms

Family-Placed Death Notice

SOLMS, William O. WILLIAM OSBORNE SOLMS (October 6, 1920 - March 8, 2010) William Osborne Solms, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend, was called to his eternal home on March 8, 2010. At the time of his passing, he was surrounded by his loving family. One of six siblings, he was born on October 6, 1920, to Annie Lee and Anton Solms in Savannah. Growing up, they spent the summers at their family-owned Solms Hotel at Tybee Beach, enjoying water sports, big band dances, and working the soda fountain. Bill graduated from Savannah High before entering the University of Georgia. At UGA he served as President of the SAE fraternity and earned his Bachelor' Degree in Business Administration with a BA in Accounting. He played on the UGA basketball team and was a member of R.O.T.C. Upon graduating in 1942, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and went into active service in World War II. During the war he was the Commander of the 960th Quarter Master Service Company, which received the Meritorious Service Unit Award and assisted in the establishment of the American Cemetery in Margraten, Holland. Last September, he was officially honored in the Netherlands for his role in this effort. In addition, his Company supplied ammunition and fuel to troops in the Battle of the Bulge. He was awarded the Bronze Star at the end of his service. In 1947 he completed his UGA law degree and was admitted to the Georgia Bar. On September 4, 1947, he married Harriet "Peg" Hodgson of Athens and accepted a job with the Coca-Cola Export Corporation, which sent them around the world. After a short time in Argentina, Bill assumed responsibilities as Assistant Regional Manager for Coca-Cola in Mexico. He served there for sixteen years before his relocation to the Latin American Headquarters in Coral Gables, Florida. The family lived there for ten years, and Bill became President of Coca-Cola Latin America in 1970. They relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, where he was Senior Vice President of the Coca-Cola Company. He retired in 1981. He adored his wife, Peg, and they enjoyed sixty-three exciting and wonderful years together. Their marriage was a model of love, faithfulness, and faith. Bill was a committed member of Church of the Apostles and was devoted to the Friday Morning Men's Fellowship. His love for the Lord and others was evident in all that he did. He is survived by his beloved wife Peg; his sister Ida Lee Cheeves and husband Buck; his son Bill Jr. and wife Marianne; daughter Nell Wright and husband Jim; daughter Harriet Mathews and husband Mark; son John and wife Cam; eight grandchildren and their spouses; and four great-grandchildren, with two more on the way. Visitation will be held Friday, March 12th from 6-8 P.M., and a Funeral Service Celebrating Bill's life will be held Saturday, March 13th at 10 A.M. Both services will be at H.M. Patterson & Son, Spring Hill, 1020 Spring Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30309, 404-876-1022. In lieu of flowers, gifts in Bill's name may be made to the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory at http://cancer.emory.edu/ or to Church of the Apostles at http://www.apostles.org/.