Bill Mcmillan

William H. (Bill) McMillan passed away peacefully Saturday morning at Hospice and Palliative Care of Iredell County after a courageous battle with cancer. Born in Gaffney, SC in 1938, Bill is survived by his wife of almost 50 years, Martha Eleanor Bynum, two daughters both in Statesville, Stacy McMillan Chapman and Mary Hannon McMillan Reid, four grandchildren, William Henry Chapman, Catherine Reeves Chapman, William McMillan Packard, and Eleanor Ann Reid. Bill was the oldest of four siblings from his parents William H. and Ethel Stacy McMillan. He is survived by his sisters Harriet M. Chamberlain, of Beech Mountain and Ethelyn M. Crank of Daphene AL and brother Joseph E. (Jed) McMillan from Winston Salem. Bill was a practicing attorney in Iredell County for over 46 years. Coming to Statesville in 1968 as an Associate of the firm, Collier, Harris & Homesley he formed his own practice in 1970 with William P. Pope. The firm continued to expand and Bill was President of Pope, McMillan ,Kutteh & Simon,P.A. from 1989-2003. He has remained a Partner with the firm now, Pope, McMillan, Kutteh, and Schieck, P.A. until his death. Bill was an active Member of the American, Iredell and North Carolina Bar Associations, past President of the Iredell County Bar Association, Member of Board of Governors North Carolina Bar Association, Chairman Administrative Law Committee of the NC Bar Association, Member of Criminal Code Commission, Member Civil Justice Reform Act Committee- Western District of NC, Member Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference, Member Advisory Committee on Local Rules-Western District of NC. Bill was a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he received his B.S. in Business Economics in 1960 and his J.D. in Law in 1968. Bill was active in the UNC General Alumni Association as well as the UNC Law School Alumni Association. In the years between under graduate and law school, Bill served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Bill served as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1974-1980, serving as Chairman of the Joint House-Senate Committee on Administrative Rules Review, Chairman House Committee on Courts and Judicial Reforms, Chairman House Committee on Professional Law Enforcement Personnel Practices, Member of Southern Legislative Conference Committee on Criminal Justice, Member of Task Force on Telecommunications, Member Legislative Study Commission on the Laws of Evidence and Member of Legislative Research Committee on Rights of Victims of Crime. Bill was also a Commissioner North Carolina Public Telecommunications Agency , United States Magistrate, Chairman Statesville Board of Elections and Member Western North Carolina Passenger Rail Committee. Bill was known to always be an active member of his community and his church. Serving as a Deacon and Sunday School Teacher at First Baptist Church in Statesville, Past President City of Progress Kiwanis Club, President of Carolina Dogwood Festival Inc., Director Home Builders Association of Statesville/Mooresville, Director Statesville Jaycees, President and Director Statesville Arts & Science Center, Vice President/ Director Greater Statesville Chamber of Commerce, Chairman Keep Iredell Clean/Keep America Beautiful, Director Downtown Statesville Development Corporation, Member North Carolina St. Andrews Society, and Director Pastoral Counseling and Consultation Group. Bill was a kind, loving family man who enjoyed being active and never stopped learning. He was an avid reader of current events and was the family historian who kept all the family records and researched the family roots. He enjoyed playing the piano and enjoyed being around friends and family. His ties to Southeastern NC and Carolina Beach were evident in the home he built at Federal Point Yacht Club and businesses he was involved with in Carolina Beach and Kure Beach. Bill was also a member of Chaine des Rotisseurs and enjoyed travel and great food. Bill was known for his personal warmth, friendliness, grace and good humor. He will be missed by all those who knew him personally and professionally. In death as in life, he continued to generously serve others. Bill chose to donate his body to the Wake Forest Bowman Gray School of Medicine for research. Memorial service to celebrate Bill's life will be Wednesday January 7, 2015 at 2:00pm at First Baptist Church in Statesville with Dr. Jack Causey officiating. The family will visit with friends following the service in Adams Hall at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to UNC-TV and Hospice and Palliative Care of Iredell County. Nicholson Funeral is serving the family of William H. McMillan.