William Phillips Tinkler

William Phillips Tinkler, Jr., 73,, passed away on April 14, at his beloved mountain home in Suches, Georgia, after a brief illness. Born on September 12, 1951, in Miami, FL, Bill was the second of six children of William Phillips and Elsie McGill Tinkler. The family moved frequently in Bill's early years owing to his father's Air Force medical career. Bill lived in New Orleans, Rantoul, IL, Miami Springs, FL, and Wichita Falls, TX, before his father retired from the military and moved the family for a final time to Greenwood, SC, in 1960. There, Bill attended public schools, graduating from Greenwood High School in 1969, where he served as drum major of the marching band.

Bill studied history at Emory University, earning his B.A. degree in 1973. After college, he worked in the Office of Planning and Research of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources before attending the University of Georgia Law School. After receiving his law degree in 1979, he served as a law clerk in Brunswick, Georgia, for a federal district court judge, the Honorable Anthony A. Alaimo, with whom he formed a strong bond. Afterwards, Bill briefly worked for a Brunswick law firm before relocating to Atlanta and practicing law for four decades in Decatur. His legal work around Georgia led to friendships with attorneys all over the state.

In 1981, he married Virginia Whitehead and became the proud and loving stepfather of Brandon and Leslie Brown. Deeply knowledgeable about family history, Bill enjoyed connecting with his many relatives. He made multiple visits to Louisville, Georgia, to meet with his paternal grandmother's Phillips relatives, shared with his Uncle Sam Tinkler an enthusiasm for learning about a Civil War ancestor, and bought a painting by New York City artist Mamie Tinkler when he discovered she was his second cousin. Stories of his devotion to family are legion. For instance, he accompanied his brother Stuart, then recently diagnosed with leukemia, to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for medical consultation. He also took great interest in his cousin Jim McGill's clean water work in Africa, even traveling with his aunt, Nancy McGill, to visit Jim and his family in Malawi.

Bill is survived by his former wife, Virginia Tinkler, of Atlanta; by Brandon (Melissa) Brown of Baton Rouge, LA, and their children, Ansley and Cole; by Leslie Brown DeGretto, of Aurora, CO, and her children, Aidan and Lane; by his sister, Ellen (James) Reinig of Milton, GA; by his brothers, Paul (Libby) of Charleston, SC, David (Brigid) of Davidson, NC, and Robert of Chico, CA; by his aunt, Ann Devlin, of Greenville, SC; and by many cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. His brother Stuart (Angela) predeceased him in 2016; as did his parents Elsie, in 2021, and Phil, in 2023.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to either Water and Sanitation for Africa, Presbyterian Church (USA), P.O. Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700, or TGI (non-profit serving the elderly, for which Bill volunteered), 1667 Brentwood Crossing SE, Conyers, GA 30013.