William S. Michael ’53

William Shaw Michael passed away on April 15, 2018 at age 82. Son of the late Leroy Michael and Katherine Shaw Michael, he was born and raised in Athens, Georgia. Bill, as he preferred to be called, was a graduate of Williston Academy in Easthampton, MA and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity and majored in English. He received his law degree from the University of Michigan. He began his fifty-year legal practice in Charlotte, NC at First Union National Bank. Bill then served as corporate counsel at The Ervin Company, and later was a partner in the firms of Williams and Michael, and Weinstein & Sturges. He retired to Pawleys Island in 2011. Bill is survived by his beloved wife of 32 years, Cathy; his three daughters, Helen Michael, Caroline Osborne, Dillon Grenham, and their spouses, Roy Cloud, John Osborne, and David Grenham, all of Washington, DC; stepsons Jeff Phillips and Jonathan Neubauer, and their spouses, Mary and Jeannie, of Charleston, SC; and grandchildren, Meryn, Cole, Lila, Natalie, James, Cate and Ryn. Bill is also survived by his brother Leroy and spouse Joanne Michael of Scottsdale, AZ. Always active, Bill loved Tar Heel basketball, tennis, hiking, politics and socializing with friends. In retirement, he trained Golden Retrievers for Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit devoted to helping people with disabilities by providing them with highly trained dogs free of charge. Through that charitable work, he found his treasured dog Lupe, who serendipitously failed to pass a few of the rigorous tests for becoming a service dog. Bill was a member of the ACLU and the vestry of Holy Cross Faith Memorial Church of Pawleys Island. He was a passionate reader, with avid interests in literature, history and theology, and had a great facility for puns.

One thought on “William S. Michael ’53”

  1. Bill was an elegant, soft spoken clear thinking guy. We must have been in Chapel Hill at the same time while I was in med school or a surgical resident there. I am also sorry we never bumped into one another. I was so pleased to read of all this accomplishments and work for the betterment of mankind.
    Kel Cohen ’53

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