Obituary of William Vaughn Witherspoon

Bill was born in Branchville, SC on September 27, 1939 to Joyce and William Witherspoon, Sr. He graduated from Branchville High School in 1957. He attended Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC where he received a baseball scholarship and he was a pitcher for the Terriers. He was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity. Upon graduation, he was recruited to pitch for the Triple A division of the New York Yankees. After playing pitcher for several seasons, Bill moved to Charlotte, NC, to work for Goodyear Tire. Bill met his wife, Sarah, in Charlotte. They were married in 1964. Bill spent most of his career at 3M Company where he worked for 28 years. He was a National Sales Manager for the Safety Systems Division. He had positions in Charlotte, Richmond, VA, Salem, OR, and St.Paul, MN and also traveled nationwide until retirement. Upon retirement, Bill and Sarah moved to Fearrington Village, NC in 1998. Bill was an avid UNC sports fan attending many games. He was a long time volunteer at UNC Hospitals serving in the ER and as a Greeter at UNC Lineberger Cancer Center. Bill was well known in Fearrington Village for walking with his golden retriever and greeting his neighbors early each day. He and his golden retriever were a certified therapy team and volunteered at a local school with disabled children. Bill enjoyed a longtime membership in the Vermillion Club on Lake Vermilion in northern Minnesota. He maintained friendships with club members and often returned for summer gatherings. He enjoyed spending summers in Blowing Rock, NC, and Door County, WI. Bill was preceded in death by his son, Andrew, in 2011. He was also preceded in death by his parents, William and Joyce. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Sarah, his daughter, Elizabeth and her husband, Scott Vaughan, his grandson, Benjamin Vaughan, and his granddaughter, Amelia Vaughan, all of Davidson, NC. He is also survived by his cousins, Dr. Edwin T. and Sylvia Smith, Nira Horton, and Carl Fairey, all of SC, and many nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held on Friday, October 6, 2017 at 3:00 PM at Chapel of the Cross, 304 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC, followed by a reception at the church. Donations in memory of Bill may be made to UNC Hospice at www.unchealthcare.org/site/hospice or Fearrington Cares at www.fearringtoncares.org Walker's Funeral Home of Chapel Hill is serving the Witherspoon family.