Bill Milligan

1941 - 2022

Bill Milligan
February 21, 1941 - June 4, 2022
Charlotte, North Carolina - William A. Milligan (Bill), died at home on June 4, 2022, surrounded by family. He was 81 years old. Bill was a loving, steadfast husband to Connie West Milligan and an active, encouraging father to Clay, Carolyn (John) Botner, Catherine (Jon Gray), and Patrick. He was proud of his eight grandchildren and his sweet great-granddaughter.
Outgoing, generous, open-hearted and fun, Bill could put anyone at ease. He was always ready with jokes, prayers or kind advice for anyone who needed lifting up. Having lived in an Alabama orphanage until he was almost 6, Bill felt deeply fortunate to be adopted and raised by Jim and Wood Milligan, and he lived the rest of his life with a humble eagerness to give back to the world the generous love and strong values he grew up with.
He met Connie at the University of Alabama, and over their 58 years of marriage, they made each other incredibly happy, never losing the spark of joyful admiration that first brought them together. Their shared faith guided them in raising their children and gave them an enduring connection to their community, a capacity to see goodness in everyone, and a hope of greater things to come.
In high school, Bill was a year-round athlete, nicknamed "Jetson" for his swift feet on the football field, basketball court, and school track. After graduating from college with a marketing degree and a great admiration for Bear Bryant, he devoted 22 years to the U.S. Air Force, earning the Bronze Star for his leadership in the Vietnam War, then continuing his service in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve until his retirement as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Bill worked for Baxter Travenol for 10 years, then he and Connie settled in Charlotte, where he bought his own warehousing and distribution company, Carolina Transfer & Storage, Inc., in 1979. His employees loved working with him, including the steady stream of high school students he hired for odd jobs to give them a bit of experience and income as they prepared for the real world. After retiring in 2000, Bill served for 7 years as Executive Director of the Southeastern Warehousing Association. He also enjoyed his 36 years with Charlotte West Rotary as a board member, president, Paul Harris Fellow, and Flight of Honor Guardian.
In his free time, Bill was very involved in service to his community, volunteering for leadership roles in his church and coaching kids from ages 6 to 16 in the sports he loved. Ever adventurous, he also enjoyed traveling and developed a love of whitewater rafting in his late 50s, taking each of his grown children on a separate summer trip on the Salmon River in Idaho.
Bill's carefree, giving spirit reached the hearts of countless people. His family is grateful for the memories, stories, generosity and love that keep circling back.
Funeral services will be held at St. John Neumann on June 30 at 10am (visitation) & 11am (Mass). For details, see www.heritagecares.com.