William B. Pitchford
October 13, 1951 ~ February 20, 2013
William Boyd Pitchford, 61, Sioux Falls, SD, formerly Athens, GA and Charleston, WV, died Wednesday, February 20, 2013, at the Dougherty Hospice Home in Sioux Falls.
Private family services will take place at a later date in Georgia.
Bill was born October 13, 1951, to Boyd and Janet (Fink) Pitchford , in Charleston, WV. Bill’s father was in the military so the family lived in many places throughout his youth. Upon graduation from high school in 1 969, he followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the US Air Force. Bill served our country in the Vietnam conflict. Shortly after his honorable discharge, Bill married his bride Marilyn Cox. The couple settled in South Georgia, eventually moving up to Athens where Bill was an electronics engineer for many years.
Bill was a great admirer of poetry and music. He enjoyed a range of genres in both. When the family gathered he taught, entertained, and inspired. He masterfully wove tales steeped in ancient Celtic lore and often recounted his childhood in Appalachia with lyric, song, and banjo.
Bill will be deeply missed by his children, Kin (Ashley) Pitchford, Sioux Falls, SD and Elizabeth (Erik Zakis) Pitchford of St. Paul, MN; one step-daughter, Stephanie (Tim) Sanders, Statham, GA; two grandchildren, Roain Pitchford McCormick and Soren Pitchford; his mother, Janet Pitchford, Hoboken, GA; two brothers, Thom (Brenda) Pitchford, Jenkinsburg, GA, and Preston (Robin) Pitchford, Elizabeth City, NC; two sisters, Jeanie (Robert) Boland, Hoboken, GA , and Coranna Young of Waycross, GA; and many nieces and nephews.
Bill was preceded in death by wife, Marilyn Pitchford, and his father, Boyd L Pitchford.
Rest In Peace, Bill.