William Lloyd Churchill

William Lloyd Churchill died on October 14, 2019, at Alamance Regional Hospital in Burlington, North Carolina, as a result of respiratory failure, a month shy of his 90th birthday. A husband, father, grandfather, Army veteran, wordsmith, college administrator, and avid volunteer, Bill was born November 22, 1929 in New York City to the late Helen Stevens Churchill and H. Lloyd Churchill and grew up in White Plains, New York. He attended Wesleyan University and Stanford University, where he received a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1951 and completed graduate work in communication and journalism.

A witty, wise, gentle man and captivating storyteller, Bill lived a long and good life, filled with work he enjoyed, family and friends he loved, travel he relished, ice cream he savored, and service to others. His most satisfying experiences, apart from his family life, came from his many volunteer posts. As he put it, "the satisfaction of helping others beats working for a paycheck every time."

Bill's service to his country began in 1954 with the Fourth Infantry Division occupation forces in Frankfurt, Germany, where he edited the Division's newspaper and contributed to the Stars and Stripes and stateside publications. His volunteer efforts included service on the Durham, Connecticut Planning and Zoning Commission (which he often viewed as combat duty), on the Red Cross Board, and as the 100th District representative in the Connecticut state legislature.

But Bill also had to work for a living. His work ethic formed early with jobs delivering telephone books and newspapers, waiting tables, cutting hay, and selling men's clothing in a haberdashery. His professional career began at Sunset Magazine as a travel writer. (Perhaps inspired by that job, he remained an adventurous traveler for the rest of his life and with his wife, Maggie, visited 42 countries on six continents). Bill continued his editorial and writing career in California at the Stanford Research Institute and Hiller Aircraft. He moved to Connecticut in 1965 to work in higher education administration and public relations, holding posts at Wesleyan University, Connecticut College, and Trinity College.

Bill retired in 1992, moving with Maggie to Fearrington Village in North Carolina in 2006 and then to the Twin Lakes Community in North Carolina in 2013, while enjoying summers at their beloved cottage in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts. He devoted himself to, as he put it, "doing well and doing good" through continued volunteer work, serving as president of his neighborhood's board in Fearrington Village and, as recently as this year, delivering meals for Meals on Wheels in Burlington.

Bill is survived by Margaret (Caunt) Churchill, his wife of 32 years; four sons and their spouses: Andrew (Jackie), Ian (Pamela Waggoner), Bruce (Scott White), and Matthew (Suzanne); granddaughters Caitlin and Lucy; grandsons Graham, Cal, Thomas, Luke, and Zac; brother, Jack (Carol); and dog, Buster. His first wife, Jane, died in 2011.

To remember and celebrate Bill's life, the family will gather in December for a private memorial in Davidson, North Carolina. The family welcomes individual remembrances of Bill. Contributions in his memory may also be made to Buzzard's Bay Coalition, 114 Front Street, New Bedford, Massachusetts 02740 (http://www.savebuzzardsbay.org) or Alamance Meals on Wheels, 411 West Fifth St., Suite A, Burlington, North Carolina, 27215 (http://www.alamancemow.org).

Online condolences may be made at www.richandthompson.com.