William "Bill" Franklin Messerly II

Bill was born on October 7, 1941 in New Brunswick, N.J. to John and Dorothy Messerly. He had one older sister, Marilyn. The family moved to Charlotte, N.C. where they put down roots. Bill showed early signs of entrepreneurship, holding a paper route as a young boy.

Bill graduated from Dartmouth College as a history major and the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business, with a post-graduate degree.

During his time at Wharton in Philadelphia, Pa. he met Linda Claire Jackson, who was an Allegheny College graduate working as a medical technician. Bill and Linda married on August 22, 1964 in Meadville, Pa. at the Old Stone Methodist Church. Bill’s dad, John, was his best man and his sister, Marilyn, was a bridesmaid. Last summer, Bill and Linda celebrated 58 years of marriage.

The young couple relocated to Georgia, where Bill was a home builder in the northern suburbs of Atlanta. Bill and Linda had two sons, Jack and Jimmy, and the family settled in north Atlanta.

On July 26, 1990, Bill purchased Courier Express, a five-year-old company that had six employees. Soon after the purchase, Jimmy and Jack came on board to help run the business. Bill was the Principal and Owner, finishing his career as Chairman Emeritus. Courier Express has grown exponentially over the past three decades and is an industry leader today in the marketplace.

After retiring, Bill and Linda split their time living in Florida, Georgia, and the mountains of North Carolina. As a history major, he was an avid reader and loved visiting historical sites around the world. He and Linda were passionate about travel and, in their lifetime, explored all seven continents and many parts of the world.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Dorothy Messerly (1993) and John Messerly (2003).

He is survived by his wife, Linda; his sister, Marilyn Messerly of Cumming, Ga.; his two children, Jack Messerly (Laurie) of Roswell, Ga., and Jimmy Messerly (Cindy) of Woodstock, Ga.; six grandchildren: Blake Messerly, Kate Messerly Bruner (Alex), Brice Messerly, Anna Messerly Singer (Jack), Molly Messerly Porter (Zach), and Maggie Messerly; one great-grandchild, James Bruner, Jr., and many cherished family and friends.

Bill cared deeply about his family, business, and travel. He leaves behind an incredible legacy which will continue through his family members at home and at Courier Express.

Funeral services will be held Friday, January 27, 2023 at Ebenezer Methodist Church, 12900 Arnold Mill Road, Roswell, Ga., 30075. The memorial service begins at 4 p.m., followed by a Celebration of Life reception.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions are made to Ebenezer Methodist Church. The church website (www.ebzchurch.org) has a link for donations; the mailing address is P.O. Box 1042, Roswell, Ga., 30077.