William "Bill" Clarence Ross

Pacolet, SC- William Clarence Ross, 87, died peacefully at his farm on Tuesday, September 15, 2015. Bill was born on June 15, 1928, in Henderson, NC and grew up at Thompson Orphanage in Charlotte, NC. At the age of 16, Bill joined the Merchant Marines and then later, the US Marine Corps with whom he proudly served his country. Bill spent military leave time for many years directing the waterfront at Kanuga, and it was there that he met his wife, Bootie. In 1953 he graduated from the University of Virginia. He began his career in education at Porter Military Academy and the Gaud School for Boys in Charleston, SC and also served as Head of the Middle School at Porter Gaud School when the two schools merged. During the summers, Bill and Bootie worked at Sky Valley Camps in Hendersonville, NC. In 1965 the two of them opened and directed Flintlock Camps in Tuxedo, NC. For 24 years at camp, Bill shared his love of the mountains, his belief in meeting a challenge head on, and his ability to tell a good story around a campfire. Bill moved to Spartanburg, SC in 1966, where he served as teacher, coach, and Head of the Lower and Middle Schools at The Spartanburg Day School until his retirement in 1991. He was a member of Calvary Episcopal Church in Glenn Springs, SC. Following his retirement, Bill served as a board member of Green River Preserve, as a Guardian Ad Litem, delivered Meals on Wheels, and enjoyed life as a gentleman farmer, an avid hunter and fisherman, and a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. Bill is survived by his wife, Hilda (Bootie) Pinckney Ross; his children, Mary Steele, Fran Watkins (Michael), Betsy Burton (Rick), William Ross (Emily), and Anne Durrette (Chris); and his grandchildren, Anne Steele Wolfe (Les), Ross Steele , Emerson Steele (Scott Smith), Will Ross, Carter Ross, Tyler Ross, Sutton Burton, Sadie Burton; his great grandchild, Chappel Wolfe; and his sister, Jewel Caldwell. A funeral service will be held for Bill at the Chapel of the Transfiguration at Kanuga Conference Center, Hendersonville, NC, on Sunday, September 20, 2015 at 4 pm . A celebration of his life will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to “The Ross Fund” at Kanuga Conference Center. This fund, established in 2008 to honor Bill and Bootie, provides camp experiences for disadvantaged youth at Camp Bob at Kanuga. Memorials should be sent to Attn: The Ross Fund, Kanuga Conference Center, P O Box 250, Hendersonville, NC 28793-0250.