William Franklin “Bill” Hockenberry, passed away Friday, October 16, 2015, in Cumming, Georgia, following a brief illness.
Born August 13, 1940, in Franklin, he was a son of the late Harry and Mildred Oates Hockenberry.
Bill moved to Marlinton with his family in 1952. He was an active member of the Marlinton United Methodist Church and a volunteer fireman with his father, who was fire chief. He had a newspaper route, which put him through his first year of college. He worked summers at Watoga State Park and planted trees in Calvin Price State Forest.
Bill was a proud graduate of West Virginia University and West Virginia University School of Pharmacy. He always followed Mountaineer sports, a passion he shared with many friends.
Following graduation, Bill moved to Point Pleasant, where he opened two pharmacies. He was very active in the community and Main Street Baptist Church, where he was deacon and Sunday School teacher. He proudly served in the military as captain and commander of the Point Pleasant Army National Guard, and possessed a great reverence for our men and women in uniform.
Bill continued a career in pharmacy after moving to Georgia, but preferred yard work and farming on his property in the ACE Basin of South Carolina, and spending time with family. He had a passion for writing letters and helping others. He is best described as a selfness servant who demonstrated kindness with strength.
Bill was a member and deacon of Alpharetta Presbyterian Church in Alpharetta, Georgia.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a son, William Byron Hockenberry.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 49 years, Glenna Rutherford Hockenberry; a daughter, Anne Wallace Phillips; a son, Jeb Franklin Hockenberry; two grandsons; a brother, Bob Hockenberry; and a sister, Linda Plybon.