William Fisher Etherington II

1946 - 2022

ETHERINGTON, William Fisher, II, "Bill" (or "Willie" to good friends), died on August 5, 2022, following a brief fight with lung cancer. Bill was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1946, the son of Sandford Garland Etherington Jr. and Rhea Robotham Etherington, both of whom predeceased him. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Martha Moon ("Moonie") Etherington; his son, Sandford Garland Etherington III; his daughter, Emily Etherington Cox; his grandchildren, Grace Etherington, James Etherington, Cecilia Cox and William Cox; his sister, Tucker Anderson and her family; along with myriad nieces and nephews.

Bill grew up in West Hartford and spent a year of his childhood in Lausanne, Switzerland, where he attended École Nouvelle and learned French, which would serve him well during his time in Vietnam. He followed in his father's footsteps in attending Exeter, and graduating from Princeton with honors. There, he majored in religious studies, writing his thesis on The Great Schism of 1054. Bill had a deep love of history and throughout his life he found ways of applying his interests and knowledge to his work, notably in his work with the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. Bill made some of his very best friends while at Princeton and was devoted to the community he fostered there. In 2013, he was awarded The Society of the Claw for service to Princeton Reunions.

Following his graduation from Princeton, Bill was drafted and served in the Army, whereâ€"after peeling onions for several weeks, day in and day outâ€"he decided he'd rather go to OCS. He served honorably as a First Lieutenant, and was assigned to the Military Assistance Command (MACV), commanding a small American force that advised a unit of the South Vietnamese Regional Forces in Duc Pho from 1970 to 1971. During his service, he earned his Combat Infantry Badge and a Bronze Star.

While in training at Fort Bragg, he was fortunate enough to meet his future wife and best friend, Moonie. He absolutely adored Moonie and proposed to her during his weeks on R&R, in a powder room of all places, just one of so many things that they would laugh about throughout their 50 years together. Following his honorable discharge, they married and moved to Lexington, where Bill earned his J.D. from Washington & Lee University and where he and Moonie created wonderful friendships that would last a lifetime. In 1973, he was invited to clerk for Judge John D. Butzner, with the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond. Bill was incredibly proud to work with Judge Butzner, often noting that he was the most brilliant man he had ever met. Bill went on to join Christian Barton and later, Beale Law Firm PC.

Over the years, Bill cultivated an expansive practice, with clients ranging from the State Police Association of Virginia to St. Catherine's School, and the Catholic Diocese of Richmond (he often joked that it was convenient for everyone that their counsel was an Episcopalian: it was too late to excommunicate him.) He counted Bishop Walter Sullivan as one of his dearest friends, as well as several other wonderful folks he met through his work there. In recent years, he was so pleased to be appointed as a substitute judge in the juvenile court system.

He was a member of the Sons of the Revolution, the Commonwealth Club and the Westmoreland Club. He served on the board of St. Joseph's Villa, and was a founding member of Newtown Hunt Club. He was admitted as a member (perhaps begrudgingly) to the Philadelphia Quarry after suggesting he might throw beer cans into it from the vantage point of his back yard (which overlooks the swimming club). He and his children made many fond memories there over the years. Bill loved lacrosse, cooking and was an ace skier in his younger years. He also found joy in fly-fishing and hunting, and adored his many amazing dogs over the years. But above all else, he valued conversation with his many wonderful friends.

Bill foundâ€"and keptâ€"the very best of friends over the years. He hosted epic breakfasts at home for his buddies and always made the time for visits at any hour. His skilled repartee, encyclopedic knowledge and generosity earned him the devotion of so many wonderful people. Bill valued kindness and loyalty while honoring the innate complexity in those he loved, as evidenced by one of his various childhood imaginary friends "The Good Bad Wolf," whose job it was to prune the old trees from the forest. He was a voracious reader with a photographic memory and his friends and family all felt so fortunate to spend time in his company. You never walked away from a chat with Bill without learning something new. Fiercely protective and loyal, he inspired a sense of security for those he loved.

The family wishes to extend their immense gratitude to the many nurses and aids who assisted Bill in his final weeks, especially Chauncey, Ben and Sharn who collectively held his family up at the end. In lieu of flowers, contributions to The Anna Julia Cooper School or the James River Association would be appreciated.

A memorial service will be held at 12 p.m. on Thursday, August 11 at Hollywood Cemetery. For those unable to attend the service, a livestream is available at Blileys.com.