William "Bill" Raiford Strickland, Jr.

Pinehurst

William "Bill" Raiford Strickland, Jr. 83 of Pinehurst, died at his home on January 20, 2018 after a life well-lived.

Born on March 19, 1934 in St. Petersburg, Florida to the late William and Rachel Strickland, Bill was a graduate of St. Petersburg High School where he was a star athlete in football and basketball. He attended the University of Georgia on a football athletic scholarship and finished his college football career at Maryville College. He played a brief stint with the NFL's Los Angeles Rams.

Bill felt a greater call than football and decided to serve as a teacher of mathematics, science, and religion at The Community International School in Tehran, Iran where he also served as a field operative in clandestine services for the US Central Intelligence Agency. He was recognized for meritorious service in 1964. It was there that he met his first wife and mother of his three children. Upon returning to the US he obtained a Bachelor's in Divinity at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and then served a second tour of duty in Tehran. Bill continued his education by obtaining a Master's Degree from Duke University and a Doctorate in education at UNC-Chapel Hill.

After his studies, he served as associate and campus minister at University Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill. He also served as principal at Chapel Hill Senior High School for seven years and as associate vice chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill. He later became the vice president of student development at Maryville College.

Bill left the education field and became co-owner of a real estate firm in Chapel Hill. In the early 1990s, he served as a management consultant to the nuclear power division of CP&L Company where he met his wife, Gail. He later served as director of student development services for the NC Community College System where he retired in 1999.

In retirement Bill worked with his wife as a consultant at Kiker, Strickland & Associates and then worked as a Teacher Development Coordinator for East Coast Migrant Head Start Project where he finished his working career in 2004. He also enjoyed volunteering for the Guardian ad Litem programs in Wake and Moore Counties.

Bill was an avid sports fan especially for his beloved UNC Tar Heels. He loved reading, music and theater. In recent years was a frequent visitor to the Givens Memorial Library. He enjoyed spending time with his wife and family at their home at Holden Beach. Bill and Gail moved to Pinehurst in 2011 to be closer to their grandchildren.

Bill was predeceased by his parents, William Raiford Strickland and Rachel Knight Humphrey and his stepfather, Willis (Bo) Humphrey.

He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Gail Bartholomew Kiker; three children, Colleen Gustafson (Gus) of Raleigh, Jennifer Mangum of Durham, and Christopher Strickland of Albany, NY; stepsons, Jason Kiker (Holly) of Wadesboro and Adam Kiker of Pinehurst; also survived by two grandchildren, Ansley and Harrison Kiker of Wadesboro.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, January 28, 2018 at 2:00 PM at Community Presbyterian Church, 125 Everett Road, Pinehurst. The family will receive friends following the service.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to Givens Memorial Library; PO Box 159; Pinehurst, NC 28370 or to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/pinkierides).

Online condolences may be left at: www.bolesfuneral home.com

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The News and Observer on Jan. 25, 2018.

Memories and Condolences
for William Strickland

4 Entries

Jenny Mangum

November 26, 2018

For the person who described the blue linoleum print below- Yes! I have admired that print many times. He kept it all these years along with a scultpure that another student created for him. He really appreciated the talents of his students.

Thank you for sharing,
Jenny Strickland-Mangum

Anne Hollander

February 8, 2018

Mr. Strickland was a wonderful man and a fantastic principal of Chapel Hill HS. I am not sure how many people know that he also played a very, very important role in the advancement of equal educational opportunities for young women. Specifically, he was instrumental in the historic fight to make the UNC Morehead Scholarship available to young women as well as young men. In 1973, Mr. Strickland decided that he wanted to challenge the fact that this prestigious, all-expenses paid four-year scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill -- the flagship public university in the State -- was only available to males. He decided to nominate a girl whom he felt qualified for the scholarship in every way except for her gender (me) in order to create a legal challenge to this unfair situation. Several articles ran in The Daily Tarheel in the fall of 1973,and the American Civil Liberties Union took up the case as he expected. Although the Morehead Board of Directors was very resistant to accepting young women into the program, within one year women did become eligible to receive it and hundreds have benefitted since from the opportunities it offered. I will always remember Mr. Strickland's courageous decision to challenge this situation and I will always feel honored to have been associated with it. Mr. Strickland, you left a long legacy of great deeds in the world -- this was but one. You will be missed!

January 27, 2018

If not for Bill Strickland, I would never have graduated high school in 1972. I had a very difficult home life, ran away, missed much the last half of my junior year and the first half of my senior year. Mr. Strickland was one of the few people (literally one of 3) who knew what was happening. He believed in me, and liked me. And I graduated with my class.

I have never forgotten his kindness to me. If his family finds an old linoleum print of two children holding a flower -- I made that and Mr. Strickland asked for a print.

He was one of the most important people in my life.

Elizabeth Landers

January 26, 2018

One hot summer day when I was 15 years old I walked up to the Heritage Hills pool and spent the day sunning alone. I was depressed because my friends were all gone on vacation or busy. At that age we are so emotional... anyway I believe there were some tears throughout that day... Later, I felt a shadow, the sun being blocked by a large form asking how I was doing... It was this beautiful man, soon to be principal of the high school, our dear neighbor, Bill Strickland. He must have seen a tiny tear escape from my eye because he said to me, "well, Lee, I like you". Oh boy, did that hit the heart and I never forgot the sweetness of that moment. All the love in my heart to this wonderful family that we were lucky enough to live down the street from, during this sad time. Lee Olsen Landers

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