William (Bill) Grace McNinch celebrated his 80th birthday fly fishing in Argentina with his wife Margaret! That says much about how Bill lived his life: completely, with passion, commitment, integrity, adventure, courage and strength!

Born in Philadelphia on January 17, 1940 to Jesse and William McNinch, he was raised in Charlotte, NC with his younger identical twin brothers, Bob and John. Bill learned early the importance of a strong work ethic, "to get and keep the job, you had to do the work! " He had more jobs as a young man than some of us have in a lifetime! Grocery bagger and deliver boy, florist delivery, newspaper boy, father's helper, and men's clothing salesman, just to name a few! He was captain of his high school football team, president of his student body, and homecoming king! (Bill returned for his 60th class reunion and the girls still swooned!)

Even before college, Bill said he learned two things that would shape his life and career: the importance of having integrity and the ability to judge people. He paid his own way through college at North Carolina State in Raleigh, majoring in zoology, which would never be his vocation, or even his passion! He joined the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, and formed lasting friendships that were with him until his death.

After graduation, the military, and a brief stint as a pharmaceutical salesman, he decided to take another path and attended Graduate School of Business at Emory University where he earned his MBA. In 1968 Bill got his first banking job with Wachovia Bank in Winston-Salem, and eventually moved with his wife Kay Ketchum McNinch to Asheville, where their 3 sons, Scott and twins Cory and Matt, were born. His banking career took him to Los Angeles, Richmond Virginia, Corpus Cristi Texas and finally Beaumont Texas. Along the way he created a unique Cotton Trust, ran National and International banking departments, and worked with Coca Cola on leverage buyouts of bottlers throughout the US. He loved what he did and was good at it!

Bill's biggest challenge as CEO, which would evolve into his biggest achievement, was to consolidate 5 independent banks in southeast Texas, with a combined $100 million in deposits and negative net worth into one bank, and make it succeed. That was 1990. When the bank sold and Bill retired in 2004, his Community Bank had over $2 billion in assets, solid net worth, and 30 branches in southeast Texas!

Within a month of retirement, Bill married Margaret, he sold his house in Beaumont, and they moved into their new summer home in Sheridan Wyoming, which they visited every summer thereafter for 13 years. They were simultaneously building another home in Houston. It was a busy year!

Their fairy tale life was interrupted in 2008 when Bill's knee revision surgery resulted in multiple infections, 17 leg surgeries, and eventual amputation in 2010. As Bill said, learning to walk again at age 70 was not easy, and being an amputee "sucked". But Bill did not let that stop him, so with Margaret's help, he learned to do things differently. He still golfed, hunted at his Sabine Pass duck lease, took cruises to exotic parts of the world including Antarctica, fly fished, took summer road trips across the US, participated in Margaret's crazy party themes, viewed Oregon vineyards from a hot air balloon, toured the Amazon River on skiffs, safaried with his grandchildren in Africa, and road a rickshaw through the Japanese bamboo gardens. He was amazing and admired for his courage and tenacity! We were all so proud of him!

In 2013 they moved to Sun City in Georgetown, Texas, where they discovered a whole new world of retired friends, things to do, places to go and gatherings to attend or host! Bill and Margaret started a scotch club and a BBQ buddies group, just to make sure they had fun places to eat and drink! It was here that Bill found peacefulness and contentment.

In their 16 year marriage, Margaret and Bill were true soulmates, best friends and happiest when they were with each other. Their love was unconditional and pure. Bill told a friend that Margaret was the best thing that ever happened to him! She felt the same about him. He will be missed, but always remembered for the wonderful man he was. We were blessed that he touched our lives.

Bill is survived by his wife, Margaret; three sons that he loved deeply, Scott (Cass), Cory (Sarah) and Matt (Justine); four granchildren, Massey, Colin, Annalise and Malen; sisters-in-law Charlotte (Jim) Boylan, Susan (Bob) McNinch and Jan (John) McNinch, many nephews and nieces, and a multitude of friends.

Memorials may be given in Bill's name to The Caring Place in Georgetown or the charity of your choice.

A Celebration of Life for Bill will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 1st, 2020 in the Chapel of Ramsey Funeral Home.

You are invited to leave a message or memory in our on-line memorial guestbook at www.RamseyFuneral.com.