William Earle

1929 - 2016

William Holt Earle

Piedmont

William Holt Earle, 86, of Sandy Springs Road, Piedmont died peacefully on February 16, 2016 at his home surrounded by his loving family.

Bill, as he was called, was born May 26, 1929 in the West Gantt Community of Greenville County. He was the son of John Kern Earle, Sr. and Mary Louise Farrell Earle.

He was a direct descendent of Colonel Elias Earle who was an early settler in Greenville County having moved here from Virginia in 1787. Bill graduated from Greenville High School and attended Clemson College.

For many years, Bill, his father and two brothers successfully ran Edgewood Dairy Farms on White Horse Road. During this time, he was selected South Carolina Outstanding Young Farmer of the Year, was instrumental in creating the West Gantt Water and Sewer District and was President of the West Gantt Elementary School PTA. In 1965 he opened Earle Tractor and Equipment Company, an International Harvester Dealership. In 1981 he went to work for Greenville County Soil and Water Conservation District where he served as the District Director until he retired in 1993. In 1996 he was elected as a commissioner to the Greenville County Soil and Water Conservation District and became its President in 2004.

After his retirement he devoted himself to his large extended family, church and local community, working in his shop where you would find him welding, doing carpentry and woodworking, working on all kinds of equipment and taking care of his yard and vegetable garden. Bill was an effective inventor and he could fix just about anything. He was a true Southern gentleman with a wide ranging curiosity and a great desire to learn about new places and things. He enjoyed traveling the United States but especially enjoyed his trips to Europe. Bill took great pleasure in meeting new people, always wanting to know where they were from.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Patricia O. Earle; daughter, Anne E. Strange (Keith) of Reston, Virginia, William H. Earle, Jr. (Joan) of Simpsonville and Joseph O. Earle (Jennifer) of Greenville; seven grandchildren, Elizabeth A. Earle, Nathaniel A. Earle, Susan E. Murdock, Elliot J. Earle, Stuart E. Strange, Margaret E. Burdette, Timothy W. Earle; and ten great-grandchildren; his brother, David F. Earle and his sister, Elizabeth E. Farnsworth; and many nieces and nephews. His brother John K. Earle, Jr. and his sisters, Mary E. Drawdy and Margaret E. Ellison predeceased him.

Bill believed in God the Father as the Creator of heaven and earth and that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. He was an active member of the Reedy Fork Baptist Church where he taught Sunday School, served as a church deacon and as a member of many church committees. He was very involved with the work of the Augusta Road Ruritan Club and as a volunteer for Greenville Meals on Wheels.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Reedy Fork Baptist Church, 459 Reedy Fork Road, Piedmont, SC 29673; North Greenville University, 7801 N. Tigerville Rd, Taylors, SC; or Meals on Wheels, 15 Oregon Street, Greenville, SC 20605. The family wants to give a special thanks to the Comfort Keepers staff, in particular Susan Holland and Dameka Aiken, for their love and support and to Interim Health Care Hospice for their kindness and professional support.

The family will receive family and friends on Friday, February 19, 2016 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Thomas McAfee Funeral Home, Downtown, 639 North Main Street, Greenville, SC. The funeral service will be held on Saturday, February 20, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at Reedy Fork Baptist Church, 459 Reedy Fork Road, Piedmont. Burial will follow in Greenville Memorial Gardens, 7784 Augusta Road, Piedmont.

The family will be at the residence.

Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.thomasmcafee.com