William Lewis Baumgardner Jr.

William “Bill” Lewis Baumgardner, Jr., went home to be with Jesus on January 13, 2025. He was born on November 1, 1947, the only child to William Sr. and Allene Baumgardner in Wilmington, NC. He married the love of his life, Barbara “Bobbie” Short Baumgardner, on August 18, 1968. Bill and Bobbie were married at Green Memorial Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC, and attended there, where Bill served as a deacon and on various committees, until 1991, when they began attending Carmel Baptist Church.

Bill graduated from Harding High School in Charlotte, NC in 1966. He took a leave from college to proudly serve his country in the Army Reserves. He graduated from University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a BBA in Accounting and began his tax career with Coopers and Lybrand. An entrepreneur at heart, he was always venturing into new industries, founding, buying and merging companies along the way. He started StaffAmerica Corp. in 1985, which was the springboard to a successful NASCAR career, founding a technology company in Arizona, acquiring other PEO companies around the country, and eventually licensing an international reinsurance company. He genuinely enjoyed working with so many fabulous people from so many different backgrounds and areas of his life.

While Bill led a successful business career, nothing gave him more joy than spending time with Bobbie and their four children and later being “Pops” to five grandchildren. He loved snuggling on the couch; doing anything with Bobbie; going for a drive; traveling the world; working in the yard and growing flowers; laying on the beach; smoking his ever-present pipe; camping and hunting with family and friends; eating cakes made by his granddaughter; and golfing with, fishing with or just watching his grandkids play sports. He loved Jesus fiercely, hugged everyone he met, never met a stranger, would talk to anyone who would listen and would graciously do anything for anyone. While he will be missed every day on this earth, we know he is now enjoying heaven and being with Jesus.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents and his daughter, Carrie. He is survived by his wife of 56 years Bobbie, son Brian (Samantha) of Charlotte, NC, daughters Anna Taylor and Emily Walter (Jason) of Charleston, SC, and grandchildren Gentry and Miller Baumgardner, Roane and Flynn Taylor and Rocco Walter.

A service to celebrate his life will be held Friday, January 24th, at 11am at Carmel Baptist Church, 1145 Pineville-Matthews Road, Charlotte, NC.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life“ John 5:24