William Garvin Cole, Jr. ’35 passed away March 2, 2008, in Nashville, Tenn.
Engineer, soldier, aviator, author, and inventor, Cole loved Nashville from the moment he, Margie, and their young family moved there in 1952.
Born in Canton, N.C., on April 14, 1915, Cole graduated from North Carolina State University in 1936 with a degree in ceramic engineering.
Among his numerous positions and accomplishments, he was vice-president of corporate development for Ferro Fiber Glass, the company that brought him to Nashville to build a fiberglass plant; CEO of McDowell Enterprises; president of General Smelting and Refining; president of Recom Plastics; and president of Jones Homes.
As a founder of Junior Achievement in Nashville, Cole was especially proud of the positive influence that organization had and continues to have on young lives throughout the community. He was instrumental in the United Givers Fund, the predecessor to United Way, and numerous other charitable, civic, and business groups, including the City Sales Club.
Cole is survived by his lovely wife of 66 years, Margaret B. Cole, 504 Elmington Ave., Nashville, TN 37205-2508; daughter, Constance Cole Goodbread (Mike); sons, William G. Cole III (Gwen) and John Charles Cole; a sister, Edith Cole Goodman; four grandchildren, Michael Eugene Goodbread, Jr. (Lisa), Charles William Goodbread (Michelle), Amanda Cole Goodbread, and John Jacob Goodbread (Sarah); five great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.