WILLIAM C. "Bill" WILHELM, 86, of Memphis, passed away Sunday, December 30, at Baptist Memorial Hospital after a short illness. An educator and musician, Bill graduated from Memphis State University, as it was previously known, and received his Masters there. After serving in the Army during World War II, Bill taught band, typing and economics at Southside and Tech High Schools before serving as a supervisor of classified personnel and finally vocational education. Bill retired in 1980 after 38 years with the Memphis City Schools. After retiring, he continued to playtrombone in many big bands in the area, the Doctors Band, the Shrine Band, the VA Band, the White House Band, the Bill Jordan Band, his personal favorite, and others. Bill was a member of The First Baptist Church of Memphis. He was ordained as a deacon at Eudora Baptist Church and continued serving as a deacon after the family moved theirmembership to First Baptist in 1970. Bill taught Sunday School for 45 years and was quite the Biblical scholar. The only thing he loved more than his wife, his daughter and his trombone was studying scripture and sharing his discoveries with others. It has been said no one ever spoke an unkind word about Bill Wilhelm, possibly because he was so kind and loving and lived his life to bring about the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. Bill was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, his beloved Berta Sue Copeland Wilhelm, also an educator and musician, his brother, Ernest Wilhelm and three sisters, Imogene Wilhelm, Geneva Lumpkin, and Virginia Barron, all of Millington. Bill is survived by his daughter, Cathy Neal Wilhelm of Memphis, his nephew, Michael Wilhelm of Collierville, his niece Ann Goff of Walls, MS, and hissister-in-law, Helen Copeland of Arlington, TX. A memorial service will be held at noon in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church ofMemphis onFriday, January 4, 2008. Visitation will be at Memorial Park Funeral Home on Poplar at Yates, Thursday, January 3, from 5 until 7 p.m. To honor his wishes, please send any memorials to First Baptist Church of Memphis, 200 East Parkway North, Memphis, TN, 38112. Memorial Park Funeral Home 901-767-8930

Published in The Commercial Appeal on 1/2/2008.