William Charles Fortune

Born October 20, 1925 in Biltmore, North Carolina to Marguerite Alexander Fortune and Charles Merriweather Fortune, Bill grew up in Asheville, NC and on his grandparents' farm in Fairview, NC. He attended North Carolina State College for his freshman year before transferring to George Washington University, only to have his studies interrupted by World War II. He served in the Navy from 1944 to 1946 on the ships USS LSM(R) 528 and the USS Chloris, attaining the rank of Yeoman Second Class. Following an honorable discharge in 1946, he completed an Associates of Arts degree in Pre-Law at George Washington University. Subsequently he studied law at George Washington University; he was a member of the Mu chapter of Sigma Kappa Delta.

Following his studies, Bill chose a career in sales and management, working for several of the companies manufacturing the latest electronic sensation of the time: the television. In 1971, Bill and family relocated to Charlotte so that Bill could take a position at local distributor Allison-Erwin. He rose to the position of President of the company before his retirement in 1989. Following his retirement, he served as president of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte from 1989-1990.

Bill met his future wife, Joanne McLean, while traveling by bus to Asheville in 1955. It seems a magazine she was reading caught his attention, and they soon discovered they had both attended the Encampment for Citizenship, an important civil rights youth group of the time. They married in December 1956. Bill was predeceased by Joanne in 2006, after 49 years of marriage.

Throughout their lives, Bill and Joanne shared a love of books, libraries, and reading, a passion they shared with their children. The only change demanded of the builder of the new home they purchased in Charlotte was the addition of a library for their books. No birthday passed without unbirthday books for all of the other children. It was no surprise to anyone that Bill spent 5 years of his retirement working in a local Barnes & Noble, and off days visiting many branches of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. In his final years, Bill and his devoted dog, Gus, became the unofficial ambassadors of his street, checking in with their neighbors daily. He also cherished newfound friendships with fellow members of the Levine Senior Center in Matthews, NC.

Bill is survived by his four children and grandchildren: Nat Fortune, his wife, Joyce and their two sons, Matthew and Alex; Miranda Kaplan, her husband, Dan and their two daughters, Megan and Anna; Katie Gurski, her husband, Greg and their two sons, Alex and Bill; and Andy Fortune, his wife, Sandi and their son, William.

A memorial service will be held Friday, October 26th at 2 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte, 234 North Sharon Amity Rd, Charlotte, 704-366-8623. The family will receive friends following the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to The Levine Senior Center, 1050 DeVore Lane, Matthews, NC 28105, 704 846-4654, or to the Friends of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, 310 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28202, 704 416-0677.