William Mclain Sherrill, Sr

Mr. William McLain Sherrill Sr. passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, September 1.



Bill was born at H.F. Long Hospital in Statesville on February 23, 1926, to the late Mary McLain Sherrill and Dr. Coite Long Sherrill. He attended Davie Avenue School and D. Matt Thompson High School until his family moved to Wake Forest, NC in 1941. He graduated from Wake Forest High School in 1943 and entered Wake Forest College on a football scholarship. At 17, he volunteered in the U.S. Army Air Corps and was called to active duty in World War II in 1944. He was trained as an airplane and engine mechanic and served on Saipan and Guam as Crew Chief for P51 fighter planes. After being honorably discharged from service, he graduated from Wake Forest College in 1949 and returned to Statesville. He worked as a salesman for Statesville Insulation Company and bought the business in 1955. He retired in 1992.



Bill married Mary Eaton Seville on June 26, 1954, at First Presbyterian Church in Statesville.



Bill was a member of the Statesville Rotary Club, where he served as director and was inducted as a Paul Harris Fellow in 1995. He was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church, serving as Deacon, Elder, Sunday School teacher, Superintendent of the Sunday School, and officer of many years of the Men's Bible Class. He attended Western Avenue Baptist Church with his family in recent years.



Bill was an active and honored member of the Iredell County Rescue Squad and was named the EMT Volunteer of the Year in 1987, Rescue Squadsman of the Year in 1990 and 1993, and was inducted as a Life Member in 1995. He was known to remark that "helping people in times of distress gives me the most satisfaction of anything I've ever done."



Bill was an active blood donor, having given over 25 gallons of blood during his lifetime. He served a three year term as Director on the Board of the Iredell County Chapter of the American Red Cross and worked with Community Blood Center of the Carolinas as well. Bill also served for a number of years on the Board of Trustees of Iredell Memorial Hospital and on the Board of Directors of King's Grant Retirement Home.



Bill was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers, Coite Long Sherrill and Henry Fletcher Sherrill.



Bill is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Eaton; by their two children, Mary Sherrill Mallory and her husband James, and William McLain Sherrill, Jr. and his wife Malinda; six grandchildren, James Bryan Mallory IV and his wife Palen, McLain Sherrill Mallory Cuellar and her husband Yuri, Madison Andrews Mallory, William Seville Mallory and his wife Katie; William McLain Sherrill III and his wife Rachel, and Frank Stewart Sherrill and his wife Brianna; and three great-grandchildren, Adeline Ann Mallory, Samuel Henry Cuellar, and James William Mallory. He is also survived by his sister, Marianna Sherrill Steele, and a number of nieces and nephews. Bill leaves a legacy of genuine kindness, compassion, and generosity for his adoring family.



The family wishes to express profound appreciation to his faithful caregiver, Justin Wilhelm.



A graveside service at Oakwood Cemetery is planned for 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 4. Following the service, the family will gather for a private luncheon. There will not be a formal visitation, but friends are welcome at the Sherrill home Monday from 4:00 until 8:00 p.m.



Bill wished to encourage anyone who wanted to remember or honor him to donate a pint of blood in his memory if able. In lieu of flowers, memorials may also be made in Bill's honor to the Iredell County Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 781, Statesville, NC 28687, or to Hospice of Iredell County, 2347 Simonton Road, Statesville, NC 28625.



Online condolences can be made to the family at www.nicholsonfunerals.com and Nicholson Funeral Home is serving the family of Mr. Sherrill.



Donations may be made to:

Iredell County Rescue SquadP.O. Box 781, Statesville NC 28677Hospice and Palliative Care of Iredell County2347 Simonton Road, Statesville NC 28625