William Zimmerman Cannon

William Zimmerman (Zim) Cannon passed away on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. He was born January 10, 1947, in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to William Clarke (Cotton) and Elizabeth Ward (Libba) Cannon.  

Services will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, April 22, at Calvary Episcopal Church in Glenn Springs.  

Zim attended Spartanburg schools and graduated from Spartanburg High School in 1965. He attended Emory University in Atlanta, where he graduated in 1969 with a political science degree. Zim was a proud member of the Kappa Alpha Order and built many lifelong friendships while there. Zim went on to earn his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina Law School.

Zim loved the stock market, and after law school, he began working for investment firms. While at Bankers Trust of South Carolina, he met his future wife, Joy Sanders. He and Joy married in 1989, and made their home in Columbia. Because of Zim's love for golf and cooler weather, the two purchased a second home in Burlingame Country Club in Sapphire Lake, North Carolina.  There, Zim enjoyed sitting on the porch and sharing stories (and cocktails) with friends and family.  

Zim’s love of history was well known, and he looked forward to his annual trip with friends to visit Civil War battlefields. He also had an extensive collection of toy soldiers he had been acquiring since childhood. An avid sports fan, Zim loved cheering for the Gamecocks and tailgating with friends at Cocks Corner. He also enjoyed attending the Masters annually, a tradition he enjoyed for 30 years with three of his close friends.

After retiring in 2014 from Wells Fargo Advisors in Columbia, Zim moved back to his hometown of Spartanburg and reconnected with old friends. He served on the Boards of the Spartanburg County Historical Association as well as the Spartanburg Regional Foundation Heart Division. He also participated in many Lifelong Learning courses at Wofford College.  

Zim was preceded in death by his parents, William Clarke and Elizabeth Ward Cannon.

He is survived by his wife, Joy; mother-in-law, Louise Sanders of Columbia; and two special cousins, Anne Escobedo (Daniel), Spencer Buchanan (Cameron), and their families. He also is survived by his sister, Mary Zimmerman Cannon.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial to the Glenn Springs Preservation Society (PO Box 571, Pauline, South Carolina, 29374).