Bill Maurice Pridgen ’64

Bill Maurice Pridgen ’64 passed away peacefully at home with his family in Charleston, Sept. 28 after a battle with brain cancer. Bill was born Dec. 21, 1941, in Myrtle Beach, the son of Carl Columbus Pridgen and Annelle Garr Pridgen. Bill was a graduate of Davidson, where he was on the wrestling team. He graduated from Yale Law School in 1967. Bill then spent two years in the U.S. Army and served in the Vietnam War. He worked at White & Case in New York, Sea Pines Company in Hilton Head, and Brown Malman in Miami. He then joined with Fred Newby to found the law firm Newby and Pridgen in Myrtle Beach. Bill was a member of the Carolina Yacht Club and the Library Society of Charleston. He was a faithful member of the Friday morning men’s Bible study at St. Philip’s Church. Bill had a passionate love of his family. He was an American history buff and was well-known for his incredible memory and his ability to recite poetry. His hobbies included snow skiing and hiking in the mountains of Colorado, where he ascended several 14,000-foot peaks. Bill enjoyed jogging barefoot on the beach, walking the golf course, and playing tennis. His love for the water kept him close to the coast his entire life. Bill was a very devoted father: He coached both of his sons’ soccer teams and also volunteered as a scoutmaster. Bill and both of his sons achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. He is survived by his wife, Delia Hipp Pridgen, 308 70th Ave. N., Apt. C, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572-3659; two sons, William Maurice Pridgen and Matthew Lock Pridgen; a younger brother, Roy Pridgen; four sisters-in-law, Paula Pridgen, Evelyn Pridgen, Jan Hipp, and Laura Wichmann Hipp; two brothers-in-law, Charley Hipp and Preston Hipp; and many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and grandnephews. He was preceded in death by his older brother, Carl Pridgen.