Mr. William Davis McDonald (Bill)

William Davis McDonald (Bill) was born in Winnsboro, SC in 1937. He died in Columbia after a brief illness on April 23, 2023. He was the son of Thomas Ketchin Elliott McDonald and Mary Davis McDonald. He came from a family of lawyers, musicians, artists, social activists and lovers of the spoken word. He attended first Erskine College then graduated from the University of South Carolina. He was a life-long devoted “Gamecock.” He had many jobs including a paper products salesman in California, an assistant bookkeeper at a Columbia nursing home, the supervisor of men’s gloves at Bloomingdale’s in NYC, a faculty member of the Buckley School of Public Speaking, and an English teacher, basketball and tennis coach at Rivers HS in Charleston, SC. He was also a licensed auctioneer and a notary public who could (and did) perform marriages. He was a member emeritus of the Saint Andrews Society of Columbia as well as a proud member of the Friday the 13th Club. He served for several years on the board of the Alston Wilkes Society. He joined the staff of “The State” Newspaper in 1969 as a reporter and eventually became a columnist with his own “by-line.” He became well-known for his stories full of warmth and humor. His human-interest columns earned him a loyal readership. He was voted “Best Columnist” by readers of “The State” and won several Associated Press awards for columns and features. He received the 1985 Ambrose E. Gonzales Award for reporting from Columbia Newspapers, Inc. He retired from “The State” in 2000. He continued to write and teach. He had several “homes”, but the main one was the historic family home in Winnsboro. He lived there until he moved to Merrill Gardens in Columbia. He published a book, “Columbia, Cornerstone of the Carolinas” in 1992 that was very well received and another, “Old Geezer Romancing in Cyber Space” in 2018, a humorous look at finding love on the Internet. As he often said about himself, quoting Joseph Cotten, “I am just a hack writer who drinks too much and falls in love with beautiful women.” He was a person of immense charm and a consummate storyteller. He is survived by his brother, Moffat Laughlin McDonald of Atlanta and several very close nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his brother, Thomas K. E. McDonald, Jr., and his sister, Camilla Brailsford McDonald. He had lovingly cared for Camilla for years at the family home. He was her prince. He was a life-long member of Bethel ARP Church in Winnsboro. A private memorial service will be held at a later date. The family will host a drop-in in honor of Bill from 4 until 6 o’clock in the evening on Sunday, April 30th, at the home of Betsy and Wilson McDonald at 916 Maple Street, Columbia, SC. Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, is assisting the family. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to Bethel ARP Church, P.O. Box 639, 101 N. Zion St, Winnsboro, SC 29180.

Tributes

Mr. William Davis McDonald (Bill)

September 18, 1937 - April 23, 2023