William (Bill) Markham, age 76, passed peacefully into Heaven surrounded by his loving family early Monday, April 15 at his home in Decatur, Alabama. Bill had battled ALS in recent years. A veteran of the United States Navy, Bill was born in 1942 in Huntsville, Alabama and is preceded in death by his parents, Odis and Estelle Markham.
Bill is survived by his wife of 35 years, Gail Rodgers Markham, five children: Mandy Markham Johnson (Phillip), Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Marianne Markham, Moody, Alabama; Matthew J. Markham (Amanda), Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Stephanie Gamble Greenlee, Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Veronica Gamble Pettus (Patrick), Hartselle, Alabama; and 14 grandchildren.
Bill was the evening news anchor and Crimestoppers reporter for WRCB-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee from 1983 until his retirement in 2009. He began his career in radio in his home state of Alabama and later switched to television - reporting and anchoring in Montgomery, Alabama; Huntsville, Alabama; Paducah, Kentucky; West Palm Beach, Florida; Baltimore, Maryland; and Nashville, Tennessee. In Chattanooga, Bill was very active in the annual Pat Boone Bethel Bible Village golf tournament and the Share Your Christmas food drive for the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.
A graveside service will be Friday, April 26, 2019 at 2:00 PM at Chattanooga National Cemetery, with Pastor Tony Walliser, Cindy Sexton, and David Carroll paying tribute to Bill's life and career.
ALS is a progressive disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. With no known cause or cure, ALS challenges the human spirit and tests the courage of everyone touched by this devastating disease.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the ALS Association - Tennessee chapter or to Bethel Bible Village in Chattanooga.
