William Lester "Bill" Branch

FUNERAL HOME

Spring Hill Funeral Home & Cemetery - Nashville

5110 Gallatin Pike S

Nashville, Tennessee

William Branch Obituary

William "Bill" Lester Branch

Nashville - William (Bill) Lester Branch, age 63 of Nashville, TN passed away Tuesday, September 24, 2019. He is survived by his wife, Cathy Hardaway Branch; daughter, Bonnie Branch; parents, Janette and Bill Prescott; sister, Lanette Burr; stepbrothers, Jamey Prescott(Jenny), Bruce Prescott(Faith), Tim Prescott(Ronna). He was the President and Principal Broker of Life Style Real Estate Advisors, Inc. He graduated from Montgomery Bell Academy and Florida Southern College. He began his career as the owner of a motorcycle dealership, then spent twenty years in sales and marketing in custom book publishing with FRP, a division of The Southwestern Company. During his years with Southwestern, Bill developed numerous national and international accounts that resulted in a number of award-winning books.

Bill was an avid outdoorsman - enjoying hiking, kayaking, scuba diving and paddle boarding. Bill instilled in his daughter, Bonnie, a passion for service, learning and adventure. Passions that led her to choose teaching as her profession. Bill was all about relationships; for 35 years he met, once a week, to run with the same group of friends at Warner Parks.

Bill loved Rugby, TN where he served on the Board of Directors of Historic Rugby, Inc. He was a loyal husband, father, son and friend. Bill enjoyed cooking a meal, reading a good book and lifting others up with his collection of inspirational quotes.

"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made in Bill's honor to Historic Rugby, Inc., P.O. Box 8, Rugby, TN 37733 historicrugby.org

Visitation will be held at Spring Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5110 Gallatin Road, Nashville, TN 37216, on October 3, 2019 from 10AM until 12PM. Graveside service to follow at 12PM.

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

Published by Tennessean on Sep. 29, 2019.

Memories and Condolences
for William Branch

Sponsored by Spring Hill Funeral Home & Cemetery - Nashville.

4 Entries

Marcia Severance McBratney

December 4, 2019

Bill and I were MBA cheerleaders together and I remember him fondly. I am so sorry for his family.

October 29, 2019

my name is david wise and i went to school with bill at florida southern. we were pikes and were brothers. this was one of the most physical and fun loving people i have ever known. he was the smartest guy ive ever known to this day. he had a heart of gold and we had many great times traveling around florida in his orange go cart saub. i left florida southern when he told me he had clepped 45 hours and i would be without his company. the best, he was special in all sense of the word god bless him and his memory and those who loved him because i did.

Kirk Abner

October 1, 2019

In November 1985, I had the honor and privilege to serve as best man for Bills wedding in NYC. I was part of the Music City Entourage that stormed The Big Apple. Needless to say, we had a great time. The only reason I mention this is because I can still remember the first line of the Toast I delivered for the occasion. Keep in mind that this was back in 1985. My toast went like this You know what makes me feel old? Ive known Bill Branch for over 20 years!

You see Bill and I met in August 1963. We were in the second grade at Brooke Meade Elementary School in West Meade. Bill and his family had recently moved to Nashville from Pennsylvania. We were on the playground, and I saw Bill come walking across the kickball court straight up to me, stick out his hand, and introduce himself. Hi, my name is Bill Branch. With that little handshake, we two eight- year olds became each others very first best friends.

The records will reflect that we both matriculated from our elementary school in the time allotted, and we were two of only three boys who would apply and be accepted to Montgomery Bell Academy. In the early years, Bill and I rode in a car pool together, along with Lee Thornton, Milton Maxwell, and Wade Thornton. Our mothers took turns driving us to school. I always looked forward to the days when Bills mom drove, because she was the best-looking mother in the car pool; and she still is!

Later we got our own drivers licenses. Bill also got a car, and he was so generous to give me a ride to school every day in our 11th and 12th grade. It was about this time when we began to enjoy a bit more discretion in our decisions. From my perspective Bill became very cool. He was driving a jet -black polished Ford Thunderbird Coupe. That sure was a cool way to arrive to school each day.

Bill was cool. While I was riding the bench in Varsity football, Bill was a cheerleader and got to hang out with the pretty coeds from Harpeth Hall and St Cecilia. But Bill was also athletic, motivated, and hard working. Bill was on the wrestling team. I remember several times when he would be in the showers in the locker room, the hot water running on high, creating a one- man steam bath. Bill would be dressed in a sweat suit, jumping rope, trying to lose 1 1/2 pounds so he could meet his weight class for the upcoming match. He was so motivated.
But if you really wanted to see something cool, I was lucky enough to join him one summer with his family, and we traveled to different lakes around the state, where Bill competed in water ski tournaments. I dont know if they still have these, but Bill would race in Slalom Water Ski events. It was a sight to behold to see him being pulled down the lake behind a speed boat, avoiding the spray, at 70 miles an hour on one ski. He was so adventurous.

I dont know how or why Bill decided to go to Florida Southern to college. In our household, mom said we had to go at least two hundred miles a way to school. I couldnt get into Duke, so I went to the University of Alabama. We hadnt been in school but a few months when I began to worry about Bill. I was afraid that he was being deprived. You see, Bills school didnt have a college football team. So, I invited him up to Tuscaloosa. I took him to see his very first college football game. He sure enjoyed that.

As we were finishing college, Bill was moving on to another exciting very cool hobby- motorcycles. He was a casual rider, a racer, and a motorcycle business owner. Bill was the first guy I ever knew who rode a motorcycle cross country. He topped that by being the first person I knew who rode all the way down Baja California. He was cool and so adventurous. He loved that open rode. Bill though nothing of jumping on his bike and riding two hours up to Crossville to visit where I was working on our family farm. Later when I was settling down and starting a family Bill would make an occasional visit to Knoxville. He always stayed in touch.
In the 4th decade of our friendship, and as a real act of kindness, Bill helped me get an interview and a job in the publishing business.

This is when I started to see another side of Bill. He had such a genuine passion for helping people. I had the opportunity to join him on a few sales calls while we were with Favorite Recipes Press. He had so much passion and wanted so much to help people and their organizations and their causes. He was eloquent, creative and passionate. I can only imagine the hundreds and hundreds of people whose lives Bill touched up in the New England area working in the business for two decades. His work and commitment to non- profits continued for many, many years.

It was 20 years ago last week when Bill flew me to Rhode Island to help him move back to Nashville. That was another great trip and plenty of good memories with him and his dad Bill.
Unfortunately, after that trip, our times together would never reach the pace that we had enjoyed for so long. I settled down in Virginia and started traveling all the time. Bill was back in Florida before I knew it.
I was so excited in 2016 after finishing a project in Alaska, when I learned that I would get an assignment back in Nashville. Bill was the first person I called and was so excited that we could finally get together again. We did get together, and I got to meet his wife Cathy.

Way before the Internet, Bill made it an annual habit to send me a birthday card. I called him on his birthday this past June. Sadly, we missed each other and only left messages. Bill told me he had been sick but sounded so certain that he was getting better.

Im sure Ive forgotten a whole lot more than I have remembered. Knowing a fellow for 55 years can do that.
To Bonnie, Cathy, Janette, Bill, and Lanette, I am so very, sorry for your loss. If its any consolation, the world really is a better place because your dear Bill has been in it.

For me, I couldnt be prouder that my first best friend was and forever will be Bill Branch.

Kirk Abner
Abingdon, VA