William M. Jeffries
July 21, 1930 - December 5, 2021
Durham, North Carolina - William M. Jeffries (Bill) passed away in his home in Durham on December 5 after months of declining health. He was born in Marianna, Arkansas July 21, 1930. He grew up in Chaffee and Cape Girardeau, Missouri and Washington, D.C., received his B.S. from the University of Virginia in 1953, and the Master of Divinity from Duke University Divinity School in 1956. He married Jo Anne Lee in 1955.
Bill was a member of the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church for 43 years, serving pastorates at Trinity in Sanford, Marshallberg, Whitakers, Parkwood in Durham, Mount Zion near Garner; Wake Forest, Longview in Raleigh, Red Springs, Southport, Murfreesboro, and after retirement, Rock Creek in Snow Camp, Spring Valley near Henderson, and City Road in Henderson. For eleven years of that time, Bill served on Special Appointment with the American Friends Service Committee, the Quaker service organization, as Peace Education Director in the nine Southeastern States.
Bill and Jo Anne retired to Durham in 1999 and in 2012 moved to Croasdaile Methodist Retirement Community in Durham. Bill delighted in his family and doing for them. Throughout his life, he was an advocate for peace, social justice, and citizen involvement, and in retirement was active in the United Methodist Conference, Durham Friends Meeting, Croasdaile Retirement Community, the Fellowship of Reconciliation, and the Friends Committee on National Legislation in Washington, D.C.
He is survived by his wife, Jo Anne, their loving dog Max, their children: Dr. Thomas Jeffries and wife Glenda of Raleigh, Theresa Lynch and husband Danny of Hollister, the Reverend Doctor Jonathan Jeffries and wife Heather of Raleigh, their grandchildren: Lee Jeffries, Rebecca Cloer and husband Chris and great-grandson Aiden, Michelle Adcock and husband Craig and great-grandsons Justin and Scott, Daniella and Elizabeth Lynch, and Sarah Catherine and David Jeffries, also his sister Betty Baer of Raleigh, and beloved cousins. A son, William Mac Jeffries, Jr. (Kalon), his parents Grace and William V. Jeffries, a sister Mary Keith Jeffries, brother-in-law Robert Baer, and sisters-in-law by marriage Carolyn Wollaston, Clara Harvey, and Susie Casebolt and husband Casey pre-deceased him.
A memorial service will be held in the Chapel at Croasdaile Retirement Community, 2600 Croasdaile Farm Parkway, Durham, at 2:00 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, December 29. Also, the service may be followed on Zoom: https://nccumc.zoom.us/j/95007573720
Memorial contributions may be made to Durham Friends Meeting, 404 Alexander Avenue, Durham, NC 27705, or the Benevolent Fund at Croasdaile Retirement Community, 2600 Croasdaile Farm Parkway, Durham, NC 27705.

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Published by & on Dec. 12, 2021.

Memories and Condolences
for William Jeffries

3 Entries

Chip Sharpe

January 30, 2022

I have admired Bill from our first encounter. He was a stalwart and deeply dedicated servant of peace and understanding between nations and between people, be they friends, enemies, or "frenimies".
Bill was my strongest mentor as I worked for American Friends Service Committee (Southeast Regional office in High Point, NC, 1969-71). I knew Bill was a Methodist minister, and his commitment to bearing love and his Friend-ly (Quakerly) manner of speaking truth to power raised my esteem for Bill, as well as for the Methodist denomination.
Gratitude for Bill and his family and a life well-lived.

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Bill Simpson

December 27, 2021

Truly one of God´s humble and caring pastors. And we were all grateful for his advocacy for social justice!

Connie McMillan

December 13, 2021

My sincere condolences to the family. Several decades ago, while he was at Longview UMC in Raleigh, Rev Jeffries and I shared a very lengthy, respectful, and engaging discussion about religion and personal choices. He listened, answered my questions with honesty, and he respected my opinions. That conversation has stuck with me to this very day and I share that story often. He was very involved with our small neighborhood church (which was demolished several years ago) and he always enjoyed doing things with the youth group and our many trips and events through the church. Many laughs were had and funny stories to be told for years to come. He was, to me, what an ideal minister should be and I was very happy to share those 4 years with him, and his family, at our church. May he rejoice in the eternal rewards that he constantly wished upon all of his friends, family, and congregation members.

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