William C. Fleming

Billy Fleming was born on August 16, 1964, in Red Bank, New Jersey, but would spend the majority of his life in Atlanta, Georgia. He had many happy summers as a child enjoying the cool breeze along the shore of Lake Burton with family, or at Camp Carolina where he made many lifelong friendships. He graduated from Riverwood High School in 1983, Auburn University in 1987, and later went on to earn a master's degree from Georgia Tech in City and Regional Planning. Billy was an early believer in urban renewal, and through his role as Director of Development Finance for the Atlanta Development Authority he led the city into much needed change in the Midtown and Downtown areas. Billy created the first SPLOST tax whereby Atlanta voters could directly support funding urban renewal projects, which is a common practice today. He played an important role during the redevelopment for the 1996 Olympic Games and Atlanta’s Atlantic Station in 2005.

After leaving his cherished city work, he had a long and successful private career as an associate broker and property management specialist. In this role he pushed to better Atlanta, and so he championed creating a restaurant and cocktail bar -- the Iconic, cultural, and music-driven Sound Table on Edgewood Avenue. For many Atlantans, The Sound Table was the apex of cool. It was where music, dancing, food, and the fledgling cocktail movement converged in the early aughts. The Sound Table brought together some of the best DJs in the South, was a starting point for many important Atlanta chefs, and showcased the cocktail prowess of exciting new Atlanta bartenders. This same location will soon be home to Atlanta DJ Ree de La Vega’s music-driven restaurant Pisces in The Sound Table, continuing this cultural legacy, which Billy was so excited to see come to fruition.

Billy was passionate about raising money for AIDS research. He helped raise over $120K with the American Action Cycling Team / European Ride between Amsterdam & Paris in 2002. Inspired by that experience, he and his teammates founded AV200 a 200-mile fundraising ride the following year. To date this ride has raised over $4million for AIDS research.

Billy was enamored with world cultures and spent much of his free time traveling the world. He cared deeply for his fellow man and was beloved by all who knew him. His many friends came from all corners of the globe. His door was always open to friends and family alike, whether for a warm bed or a dinner party. Those closest to him universally benefitted from his loving, sociable demeanor and his boundless generosity.

William Fleming was preceded in death by his father Samuel Hale Sibley Fleming, mother, Nancy West Fleming Bradfield, and stepfather David Maurice Bradfield. He is survived by his three siblings: Samuel Hale Sibley Fleming, Katherine Fleming Earle, Jennifer West Fleming-Balser, and step-sister Susan Bradfield Britt, and his beloved pugs Bruiser and Daisy.

Service to be held at 7:00pm on Thursday, April 10th at The Georgian Terrace, Atlanta. Celebration of Life Party to follow at the same location.