William (“Bill”) Childs Cantey, Jr. died at home Friday, September 7, 2018, following an extended illness with Parkinson’s Disease. Bill is survived by his wife of 51 years, Elizabeth (“Betty”) Campbell Cantey.
He was born in Columbia on January 16, 1943, son of William Childs Cantey, M.D., and Blanche Dennis Cantey. He was predeceased by his parents and a sister, Dennis Cantey Foster.
A visitation will be held on Thursday, September 13, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Shives Funeral Home, 7600 Trenholm Road Extension. A funeral service will be held on Friday, September 14, at 3:00 PM at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 1100 Sumter Street, followed by a visitation in Satterlee Hall.
Bill was educated in Columbia City schools, graduating Dreher High School, class of ’60; followed by Davidson College, class of ’64. He received his MBA in finance from Harvard University in 1966. Bill served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Korea. He returned to Columbia in 1968 and began his career in commercial real estate. He founded and was President of Cantey & Company, Inc., a real estate consulting and property management firm.
Bill was also a Senior Instructor on the national faculty of the Certified Commercial Investment Member Institute (CCIM), of which he was designated the national “Faculty Instructor of the Year” in 2004. Another great interest of Bill’s was the S.C. State Fair, which had also been an interest of his father and grandfather. Bill served as President from 2005-2018.
Bill also served as President of the Executive’s Association of Greater Columbia (EAGC), The Greater Columbia and S.C. Realtor’s Association, and the Columbia Kiwanis Club. He was a lifelong member of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, a member of the Columbia Cotillion Club, the Pine Tree Hunt Club, the Centurion Society and Forest Lake Club.
In addition to his wife, Bill is survived by a son, William Childs Cantey, III and his wife Nicole Paul Cantey of Columbia; a daughter, Elizabeth Cantey Keating and her husband Stephen Michael Keating of Boise, ID; and a son, Hugh Campbell Cantey and his wife Kat Mooney Cantey of Columbia.
He is also survived by his adoring grandchildren, William Childs Cantey, IV, John Graham Campbell Cantey; Welles Elizabeth Keating, Anna Campbell Keating, Charlotte Helen Keating; Avery Appalachian Mooney Cantey, and Isaiah Campbell Cantey.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the following “in memory of William C. Cantey, Jr.”: The S.C. State Fair Scholarship Fund with checks made payable to “SC State Fair” PO Box 393, Columbia, SC 29202. Or, the William C. Cantey, Jr. CCIM Memorial Fund, “CCIM Foundation” PO Box 6456, Columbia, SC 29260. Or, to the Parkinson’s class, Delay the Disease, “YMCA Healthy Living Center,” 419 North 11th Street, Boise, ID 83702.