William Neill Church, Jr. - Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Homes & Crematory

William Neill Church, Jr.

Born February 3, 1942

William Neill Church Jr., fondly known as Bill, of West Palm Beach, FL, passed away peacefully on May 31st, 2015.

Born in Charleston, WV on February 3, 1942, Bill was a son of the late W. Neill Church, Sr. and Dorothy (Gray) Church.

Bill attended Brandywine High School, and was among the first graduating class in 1960. He then attended Widener University, graduating Magna Cum Laude with an Economics degree. Bill held numerous management positions across the US, and eventually relocated to Florida, where he retired and lived for the past 25 years. Bill was an avid sailor and held a charter boat captains license. He owned and sailed numerous boats, and even performed some marriages. He was also a sports enthusiast, and participated in numerous high school sports (baseball, football, and wrestling), and earned varsity letters in each year he played.

In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by his brother, Justin and a granddaughter, Ashley Jones. He is survived by his daughter, C. Kelly Novonty (Rob) of Newark; son, William N. Church (Mary Kate) of Bear; brother, Jonathan Church of Mount Jackson, VA; sister, Chipley Church Harris (David) of Timberville, VA; 7 grandchildren; and 1 great grandson. He was deeply loved by his family and will be greatly missed.

A memorial service will be held at 11 am on Friday morning, June 12, 2015, at the Grace Episcopal Church, 4900 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE, where a visitation for family and friends will be held from 9:30 am until 11 am. Interment will be private.

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9 Condolences for William Neill Church, Jr.

  • My heart goes out to the Church family during this time of mourning. Thinking of you all. Just know that he will always be looking down on you.

  • Very sorry to hear of the passing of a long time friend. i will miss our occasional texts regarding politics and current events. I know that Bill really loved his family and leaves them with wonderful memories. My sympathy to all the loved ones he leaves behind.

  • Dear Friends,

    I wanted to say Family because that is what we have always considered you all to be. I am so sorry for your loss. Bill’s obituary was lovely and certainly expressed the essence of him. I think he lived his life to the fullest and know how much he loved his family and some special friends. Jim and I are thinking about you.

    Love,
    Marie and Jim

  • i knew Bill well from our sailing days in the 90s. We did a week charter trip in the Virgin Islands and also a couple of ski trips to Utah and Colorado. Bill was a lot of fun, very active and a team player. I never would have guessed his age from how he carried himself.
    May he rest in peace and condolences to his large family. God Bless

    Ahh the 90s….when men were men, and women appreciated it.

  • I am so very sorry to hear of the loss Bill has left in his family. I am very close to my father and would be devastated were I to lose him. I can only imagine the grief you are feeling at this time. The best we can do is to cherish one another in the time we have together.

  • Bill and I were friends from childhood. We shared many good times at Brandywine, a wonderful school with great teachers who prepared us for the real world. Bill’s passing is truly a personal loss for me as it is for his family. God bless you in this time of need.

  • I thought I had a message posted, but looked today and didn’t see it. Don’t know what happened? Anyway….I’m Very Sorry to hear of Bill’s passing—–and know what a terrible loss it is for The Church Family. My heart goes out to each and every one of you!!

  • To the Church Family – I was so sorry to hear of the passing of Bill. I know he will be missed greatly. My thoughts and prayers are with you, and may you receive great comfort in the memories of the times you have shared.

  • Billy was my best friend from 7th through 9th grade.. You couldn’t have had a better friend. He fought my battles and we won Joan and Pam. It doesn’t get any better when you are a young teen. I miss him and I’ll see him soon.