William R. Rothe

1942 - 2026

William R. Rothe

October 15, 1942 - March 26, 2026

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina - Retired Securities Industry Executive, William R. Rothe, 83, a resident of Hilton Head Island, SC, died on March 26th, 2026, at Hilton Head Hospital. William was born in Fayetteville, NC, and moved to Washington, DC, in 1952, attending Western High School and The George Washington University where he was a member of the Alphi-Pi Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, and later, Chapter Alumni Advisor.

A long-time resident of Potomac, MD, William and his wife, the former Gay Frederick of Lafayette, LA, moved to Hilton Head Island in 2005 following his March 2000 retirement from Deutsche Bank Alex Brown, where he was a Managing Director and Senior Nasdaq Trader in the firm's Baltimore office. He had previously spent 36 years with Alex Brown and Sons where he was a Partner and then Managing Director and where he had been Head of Nasdaq/OTC Trading from 1974-1998.

William was a former member of the Board of Governors of the National Association of Securities Dealers (now the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) where he served as Vice-Chairman of the National Business Conduct Committee and as a member of the Executive Committee. Prior to his election of the Board of the NASD, he served as Chairman of the District 9 Business Conduct Committee and was Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Board of Governors. He also served, at one time or another, as Chairman of the Nasdaq Stock Market Surveillance, Trading and Quality of Markets Committees.

He was a former Chairman of the Board of the National Security Traders Association Foundation having previously served as President and Director of both the Security Traders Association of Washington, DC and the Baltimore Security Traders Association Foundation. He also served on occasion as a consultant and expert witness for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Division of Enforcement and for the Department of Justice.

William was a retired U.S. Army Reserves Major, having spent 15 years in the Army National Guard and was the Commander of the 275th Military Police Company and Executive Officer of the 171st Military Police Battalion, prior to his transfer to the Army Reserve. He was a life member of the National Guard Association and the Reserve Officers Association of America.

William was a member of the Board of Directors of Hilton Head Island Humane Association, a member of the Cairn Terrier Club of America and the Potomac Cairn Terrier Club and served for several years as the Treasurer of the Hilton Head Island Kennel Club. He was also a member of The Golf Club at Indigo Run, the South Carolina Yacht Club, both In Hilton Head Island, SC and the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD. He was also a Life member of the National Rifle Association.

William was preceded in death by his parents, Elmer E. Rothe and Mary Ashworth Rothe. He survived by his wife Gay; nephew Todd Rougeou and wife Heather B. Rougeou; two grandnieces Emma Grace Rougeou and Mattie Lynn Rougeou; grandnephew William T. Rougeou, all of Baton Rouge, LA; niece Heather Rougeou of Lafayette, LA, and numerous Ashworth family cousins in and around Fuquay-Varina, NC.

Friends in South Carolina may call at The Island Funeral Home and Crematory, 4 Cardinal Road, Hilton Head Island, SC from 1pm to 3pm on April 2nd, 2026.

Burial services will be handled by the Thomas Funeral Home, Fuquay-Varina, NC, with a private burial at Wake Chapel Cemetery in Fuquay-Varina, NC.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Hilton Head Humane Association, 10 Humane Way, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926; National Rifle Association Foundation, 11250 Waples Mill Rd. Fairfax, VA 22030 or Tunnel to Towers Foundation, 2361 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10306. islandfuneralhome.com