Dr. William “Bill” Harold and Peggy Williams Pryor passed from this life on Jan. 17, 2017. Bill was born in Pineville, West Virginia on March 19, 1935 to Harold and Ardis Pryor.
Peggy was born in Radford on Nov. 25, 1935 to Earl and Nellie Williams. Their love story began at Radford High School where Bill was on the football team and Peggy was a cheerleader. They were married on December 17, 1955.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, and Peggy was preceded in death by her parents, four sisters and one brother. They leave as their legacy a son, William Michael “Mike” and his wife Cynthia of Austin, Texas; daughter, Kathryn Leigh of Greenville, North Carolina, and daughter Jennifer Anne and her wife, Jolie, of Jacksonville, Florida; their beloved grandson, Matthew of Denver, Colorado; surviving siblings Diane Pryor, Dan Williams and Harry Williams, as well as two grand-dogs and one grand-cat. They also leave behind many dear cousins, nieces, nephews and close friends.
Bill graduated from Radford High School and attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute before earning his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Georgia – Go Dawgs! He was commissioned in the US Air Force in 1959, serving in the Veterinary Service Corps, completing a Master’s degree at Texas A&M University while on active duty.
Bill served with distinction in the US Air Force before retiring as a Colonel in 1979. After his USAF retirement, he did research work for two years in the Washington, D.C. area before accepting a position with the East Carolina University School of Medicine where he was integral in the development of the Animal Resources Center at the Brody School of Medicine. He retired from ECU in 2000 and was Professor Emeritus with the Department of Comparative Medicine at the time of his passing.
Peggy also graduated from Radford High School, and attended Radford University before her marriage to Bill. She was an assistant teacher with autistic children and a homemaker/domestic goddess, caring for the family and supporting Bill during his many careers across the country and around the world. She was always active in the community wherever they lived. In the 35 years that they have been in Greenville, she has been a sustaining member of the Service League, United Methodist Women Group 2, most recently serving as Treasurer, the Lynndale Garden Club, and she supported Women for Women.
Bill was community-minded as well, most recently serving as the secretary for Greenville Evening Rotary, and supporting the Food Literacy Partners Program. He was also a member of the Lynndale Neighborhood Association and a Block Captain for the Neighborhood Watch. He was a compatriot of the General George Washington Chapter of the North Carolina Society of Sons of the American Revolution.
Together, they were all-around good Samaritans, including supporting many charitable causes, delivering Meals on Wheels, and serving with the Congregational Care Team at Jarvis Memorial United Methodist Church, where they were members for over 30 years.
A celebration of their lives and love together will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 22 at Jarvis Memorial United Methodist Church in Greenville, North Carolina.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The ALS Association Jim “Catfish” Hunter Chapter, 4 N. Blount St., 2nd Floor, Raleigh, NC 27601 or the Humane Society of Eastern Carolina, 3520 Tupper Drive, Greenville, NC 27834.
Arrangements by Wilkerson Funeral Home and Crematory.
Online condolences at www.wilkersonfuneralhome.com
