William White Rutledge Sr.

William "Bill" White Rutledge, Sr. was born in Sumter, SC, on September 3, 1928, to Ben Hill Rutledge, Sr., and Helen White Rutledge. He passed away on October 23, 2015, in Anderson, SC. He was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Marianne Chardon Jenkins Rutledge, and by his son William White Rutledge, Jr. William Sr. was known to his family as "Bip."When Bill was 17 years old, he joined the army and served in WWII in the occupation forces both in Japan and in Korea. He later went on to the University of South Carolina, from which he was graduated with a double major in chemistry and in business. An inventor and entrepreneur, Bill Rutledge ran two successful businesses. He was the holder of two patents, one of which was for Flexiwall, a product that formed the foundation of his second business based in Liberty, SC, that produced and marketed the product. He was active in politics, serving as head of the Democratic Party in Greenville, SC. He served on the Board of Directors of the Greenville Chapter of the Red Cross and of the Greenville County Mental Health Association. He helped to found Gateway House, which provides opportunities for adults with mental illnesses to live and to function as independently as possible. William White Rutledge, Sr. is survived by his son David J. Rutledge and David's wife Debra W. Rutledge of Spartanburg, SC; by his daughter Dorothy S. Rutledge of Greenville, SC; and by two grandsons: John Jamison Rutledge of Columbia, SC, and Christopher Franklin Rutledge of Spartanburg, SC. He is also survived by two brothers: Ben H. Rutledge., Jr., and Ben's wife Rachel of Fayetteville, Tennessee, and by Edward E. Rutledge of Sumter, SC. Other surviving relatives include numerous nieces and nephews. A visitation will be held Tuesday, October 27, 2015 from 7-9 pm at Woodlawn Funeral Home. The Rite of Christian Burial will be performed on Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at 3:00 pm in Woodlawn Memorial Park. www.woodlawn-fh.com -