William Gray "Bill" Daughtridge Jr.

1952 - 2019

William "Bill" Gray Daughtridge, Jr.

ROCKY MOUNT - William "Bill" Gray Daughtridge, Jr., born in Rocky Mount on December 19, 1952, passed away at home on Monday, September 2, 2019. He was 66 years old. Bill lived a life of service to God as a devoted family man and public servant.

Bill graduated from Rocky Mount Senior High School and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a Morehead Scholar, earning both a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Masters of Business Administration. During this time, Bill served in the North Carolina National Guard.

Upon graduation, Bill joined the Continental Oil Company management team in Houston, TX, where he met the love of his life, Partha.

Bill returned to Rocky Mount to work for his family business and took over as president of Daughtridge Gas & Oil in 1979. Over 40 years, his vision drove the company's successful expansion and diversification. Under Bill's leadership, Daughtridge Gas & Oil grew from three distribution sites and 30 associates to four distribution sites, fourteen Oasis and Fuel DOC convenience stores, an Express Lube and Car Wash facility, seven Dunkin' Donut shops, with 350 associates.

In 1993, Bill co-founded Pure Oil Jobbers Cooperative, an organization of 340 independent petroleum marketers covering 10 states in the southern United States. He was also past-president of the North Carolina Petroleum Marketers Association and served on the National Board of Directors of the Petroleum Marketers Association of America.

Bill served three terms as State Representative from District 25, representing Nash County. Bill was recognized as a "change agent" for introducing legislation to further education as the backbone of economic development, earning a legislative leadership award in the process. He was appointed by the state legislature and served four years on the University of North Carolina Board of Governors.

Governor Pat McCrory appointed Bill Secretary of Administration in 2013. He led a department of more than 400 people who managed the daily operations of the State.

In 2016, Governor McCrory appointed Bill to the North Carolina Industrial Commission. Governor McCrory also awarded Bill the Order of the Longleaf Pine, the highest award a governor can bestow on an individual for a record of exemplary service to the state.

Bill was a lifelong Boy Scout and a leader in the community. He earned his Eagle Scout award in 1970 as a member of Troop 11 in Rocky Mount. He served numerous years on the Executive Board of the East Carolina Council and on the Southern Region Board of the Boy Scouts of America. He is a recipient of the District Award of Merit, the Silver Beaver, and the Silver Antelope. In 2017, Bill became the 15th recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the East Carolina Council, the National Eagle Scout Association's highest recognition.

Bill was an active member of First Presbyterian Church and served as president of the Rocky Mount Jaycees, among other civic organizations in the Rocky Mount community.

Bill had a great sense of adventure and lived his life to the fullest. He was an avid sportsman and loved the outdoors, hunting, fishing and traveling across the globe with his friends and family.

Bill was preceded in death by his father, William Gray Daughtridge, Sr. He leaves behind to cherish his memory, his wife of 39 years, Partha Council Daughtridge; son, William "Gray" Daughtridge, III and wife, Brenning, of Rocky Mount; and daughter, Meredith Daughtridge Archie and husband, Charles, of Raleigh. He is also survived by his mother, Carolyn Daughtridge Patterson and husband, Pat, of Rocky Mount; grandchildren, William Gray Daughtridge, IV, Mary Evelyn Brenning Daughtridge, Addison Gray Archie, Caroline Van Dyke Archie; sister, Shawn Daughtridge Wallace of Charleston, SC; and many nieces and nephews.

The family is thankful for the expert care Bill received from UNC Health Care and AMADA Senior Care; and expresses gratitude for his loving caregivers Jasmine Lee, Doneija Phillips, Pat Lovette and Delphina Harrison.

A Celebration of Bill's Life will be held on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 at 2:00 PM at First Presbyterian Church of Rocky Mount, 153 N. Church Street, Rocky Mount, NC 27804. Burial will immediately follow the service at Pineview Cemetery. The family will receive friends and relatives on Monday, September 9, 2019 from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM at Wheeler & Woodlief Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation may be made to the East Carolina Council, Boy Scouts of America, P.O. Box 1698 Kinston, NC 28503.

Arrangements entrusted to Wheeler & Woodlief Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 1130 N. Winstead Avenue, Rocky Mount, NC 27804. You may share memories and condolences with the family by visiting www.wheelerwoodlief.com.

As published in the Rocky Mount Telegram