William Pace Terrell, age 87, died July 12, 2024, at The Sharon at SouthPark. He was born in Atlanta, GA to Lowell Sylvester Terrell and Eleanor Pace Terrell of Clayton Co., GA. After graduation from Forest Park High School, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Davidson College in 1960.
Following graduation, he married Sue Anne Reid of Davidson, NC. They moved to Portland, OR for 16 months before settling in Charlotte. There they raised their three children, Pat, David, and Jim.
They joined Covenant Presbyterian Church where Bill, a founding member of The Dummy Club, helped to repair and install donated appliances to needy families. He sang in the Covenant Choir for sixty years, served on the Sound System committee, and delivered Friendship Trays. He went on several church trips to Mexico and places in the U.S., where he and others helped those in need.
Bill, Sue, and their family made several trips as well, in both the U.S. and Europe, the most memorable two being a 10,000-mile, three-week trip to the West Coast in a self-customized 1969 Chevrolet Step Van (1978), and a three-week tour of Switzerland with all of their children, their spouses, and grandchildren (2012). Memorable indeed!
Bill spent 35 years in the printing business, beginning at Charlotte Engraving Company and moving on to Consolidated Engraving Company, both in the 1960s. In the early 1970s, Bill and three other men co-founded Graftech Corporation, a prepress, photo engraving, and printing company. Bill became the acting president of Graftech within a few years and retained that role until his retirement in 1999. During this time, Graftech was acquired by Washburn Graphics, at the time, the largest commercial printer in Charlotte, and Bill continued to run Graftech as an independent division of Washburn. He was also a Vice President of Washburn Graphics and served on its Management Team. In the 1980s, Graftech joined the Southeastern Prepress Association (SPA), a regional trade organization for similar companies. Bill held several leadership positions within the SPA, including President of the SPA for two years in the 1990s. Long-time employee Kathy Cantwell recalls, “Professionally, Bill was a leader, mentor, and visionary; as a creative problem-solver, he was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty. He enjoyed teaching and sharing all he knew with employees and customers alike. He was unconventional, rebellious, entertaining, and infuriating. No one who met him ever forgot him.”
For most of his adult life, Bill was a pickup basketball player at the Dowd YMCA. Former executive director, Chris Orr writes, “Known as “The Spider”, he was a legend in the Underwood Gym. He regularly played with guys half his age, many of whom were former high school, college, and even professional athletes. He was admired for staying active and connected, long after others had retired their high tops.”
At home, Bill spent many hours in the yard, in the driveway under the hood of a car, or in the basement, forever in the middle of a project. He led his children in all kinds of atypical activity, from skinning a rabbit to birthing goats. He forever instilled his belief that there is no need to have anything the way everyone else does when you can make something unique yourself spending a whole lot more time and a whole lot less money. Go-carts and bikes were repaired, engines were pulled, Bondo applied, and sunroofs installed. From the basement came several skateboards, a mouse maze, sling shots, beaded bamboo door beads, a harp dolly, wood furniture, etc., all home made. He only loosely supervised, believing in natural consequences. Fingers were burned, callouses earned, and knuckles planed or sanded; most mistakes were made only once, and all three kids came away branded.
During his lifetime he designed and built two homes – the one in Charlotte and a vacation home in Montreat, NC. He sought and welcomed ideas and plenty of work from his family and friends, wanting each to feel invested in the process.
Mr. Terrell is survived by his wife, Sue; his daughter, Patricia Terrell Walker; sons, David William Terrell (Heather) and James Lowell Terrell (Linda), and grandchildren Will, Walker, Cole, Luke, and Sylvia, all Terrells. He is also survived by his sisters, Barbara Terrell McDonald and Mary Terrell McAlister. His parents and brother, Robert predeceased him.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 1000 East Morehead Street, Charlotte, NC.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Covenant Presbyterian Church Choir, The Dowd YMCA, or a charity of your choice.
