Menu
Search by Name
Search by Name
About
FUNERAL HOME
William Scaife Obituary
Family-Placed Death Notice
SCAIFE, William WILLIAM R. SCAIFE William R. Scaife was born in Tifton, Georgia, Jan. 15, 1927, son of Alie Bradford and Reta Humber Scaife. He was a registered practicing Architect and Professional Engineer, graduating from Georgia Tech in 1954. He served in World War II in the 82nd Airborne Division. He was a member of the American Institute of Architects and was a highly acclaimed historian and author, having published 14 books on Civil War subjects. The best known was the Campaign for Atlanta, which won the 1995 William Barksdale Harwell Award of the Atlanta Civil War Round Table for "Best Book on a Civil War subject". He was awarded the Cross of Military Service and the Jefferson Davis Gold Medal in History by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. He served as Chairman of the Board of the Kennesaw Mountain Historical Association and is Board Member Emeritus of the organization, was President of the Civil War Round of Atlanta and Commander of John B. Gordon camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. He is an honorary member of the Etowah Valley Historical Society, the William J. Hardee Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans and an Honorary Life Time Member of the Atlanta Civil War Round Table. He served as a consultant on a large number of historical projects and conducted many staff rides of Civil War Battlefields. Mr. Scaife is survived by his wife, Ollie Coker Scaife; two daughters, Rita (Slagle) and Sue (Simmons); granddaughters, Jennifer (Carlan) and Melissa Slagle; a grandson Tad Scaife Wilson; a great-grandson, Vincent (Carlan); and two stepchildren, Robin Lee Inman and David Ollie Lee of Columbia SC. A memorial service will be held at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs, GA on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 1:00PM in the Sunrise Chapel. Cremation Society of the SOUTH in Marietta is in charge of the arrangements (770) 420-5557.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for William Scaife
Cari Gerrits
August 27, 2009
We've lost a real jewel. I was fortunate to take Bill's class at Emory covering the Campaign for Atlanta. What a wonderful talent he had for making something that happened so long ago resonate so soundly in the minds of his present day pupils. He was truly a treasure...and I'm so glad to have met him.
Cheryl Hammel
August 27, 2009
Ollie I am so sorry that you have lost your Bill. I worked with Bill many years ago and learned so much from him especially being a "yankee" living in the South. What a wonderful man he was and how I remember how he loved "his Ollie"
Susan & Dave Ellis
August 22, 2009
Bill and Ollie were a lovely couple who were a privlege to know. I will always remember the book he autographed for Dave's birthday one year after Oliie told him of Dave's great interest in the Civil War. It is in our library today, and it evokes wonderful memories of a special man and couple.
Tony Dooley
August 21, 2009
Bill was a very good friend and always was willing to share his great knowledge of the CW with me. We have lost a great person and a very dear friend. We were both Air Borne guys from the army but from different wars. May god be with you. Now you may cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees. Tony Dooley (Hiram, Ga)
August 21, 2009
Bill was a very good friend and always was willing to share his great knowledge of the CW with me. We have lost a great person and a very dear friend. We were both Air Borne guys from the army but from different wars. May god be with you. Now you may cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees. Tony Dooley (Hiram, Ga)
John Cobb
August 20, 2009
Several years ago, Bill accepted my invitation to speak to The Roswell Mills Camp, SCV, about the Battle of Allatoona Pass, and he gave us his famous delivery on that, which he vicariously lived. Like Gen. Patton, he felt that he was there in those actions of long ago. Now, every time I walk through the rail road cut, I will know he is there, along side his grandfather, guarding the Pass. Keep watch, O faithful servant.
Julian and John Williams
August 20, 2009
Dear Ollie and family: works cannot adequately express our sorrow for you and Bill's legion friends and admirers (including ourselves) at this sad time. Bill was an unexcelled historian on the topics he wrote about. We count it among our greatest gifts to have known him and enjoyed history with him. His loss is irreplaceable to us as a friend and mentor. With love and respect , we hold you in our prayers and thank you for sharing with us the friendship which you and he bestoyed on us and many others. Julian and John Williams
August 20, 2009
The civil war comunity has lost a great contributer and frind to those who knew him. I had the pleasure of meeting and becoming a friend to him many years ago at the civilwar show. His works on the atlanta campaign and the war in Georgia were unsurpassed. He was much more than a writer ,or historian, he was a teacher to us all. I pray for him to find his deserved rest with our lord, he has cemented his legacy already on this earth , his work is done.
His friend,
Terry Smallwood
Calvin Johnson
August 19, 2009
Bill Scaife was a good friend who knew the true history of the South and our nation. My Mother and I first met him mnay years ago at a meeting of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. He was a great Southern speaker on subjects of our forgotten past. He will be missed by all. God be with his family during these sad times. He is now with Jesus and Robert E. Lee
John Black
August 19, 2009
Bill was a Southern gentleman.
He had class, intelligence and a manner
that made those he met feel important.
Bill was a veteran of World War II (l01st Airborne, I believe) and one of those special Americans who made it possible for the rest of us to live good lives.
His books on the C. War battlefields have made a part of history clearer and more accurate. He identified more accurately where things happened during some of the battles.
He loved his work, his family and was a friend to all. And he loved history.
In 1989 I heard him give a speech at
Westview Cemetery on Confederate Memorial Day. He spoke about the common
Southern soldier. It was one of the
finest speeches I ever heard and made
me proud to be a Southerner.
GOD SPEED BILL!
John Black
Dawsonville, Georgia
Lee and Chris Weinstein
August 19, 2009
Ollie and family,
Bill was a great man, a learned scholar and a wonderful mentor. He will be missed by all of us and we wish you comfort in your sorrow.
Lee and Chris Weinstein
Showing 1 - 11 of 11 results
Make a Donation
in William Scaife's name
Memorial Events
for William Scaife
How to support William's loved ones
Honor a beloved veteran with a special tribute of ‘Taps’ at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.
Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?
What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?
Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?
We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.
Read moreResources to help you cope with loss
How to Cope With Grief
Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you.
Read more
Estate Settlement Guide
If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.
Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast
Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.
Read moreWays to honor William Scaife's life and legacy
Obituary Examples
You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.
Read more
Obituary Templates – Customizable Examples and Samples
These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.
Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?
Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.
Read more
