The Rev. William “Bill” Pearman McLemore, 87, passed away on Jan. 14, 2025 in Atlanta. He lived, loved and served this world as an Episcopal priest, bringing light, love and acceptance to many people, communities and congregations during his ministry. He touched so many lives; it has been overwhelming to see the number of people who have reached out to express their condolences and how much they will miss him.
McLemore
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 25, at 1 p.m. at St. Bede’s Episcopal Church, 2601 Henderson Mill Road, in Atlanta. The Rev. Chad Vaughn, rector, will officiate.
Bill was born in West Point, N.Y., on October 14, 1937, to Ephraim Hester McLemore and Edith Adeline Pearman McLemore. As the son of an army colonel, the family moved around a lot during his childhood. He spoke fondly of his time spent in Japan as a young boy where they lived in a beautiful home with a Japanese family. He had a younger sister, Ann, and younger brother, Timmy.
Some of his best childhood memories were when they lived at Fort Monroe in Virginia during his high school years. They lived in a two-story brick house, and it was there that he met one of his best friends, Michael Irvine, whose family also lived in nearby officers’ quarters. In June of 1959, Mike would become his brother-in-law when he married Bill’s sister Ann.
Bill’s mother died when he was 14, and in 1952, his father remarried Betty Pfieffer. He gained a stepsister, Barbara, and stepbrother, Butch. In 1954, he gained a half-brother Joseph.
Bill joined the Army right out of high school in 1955. His three-year Army career started in Korea where he was stationed for two years. In 1957, he was stationed in Missouri and worked as a command clerk. Bill was always serious about his religion. He was close to his maternal grandfather and had been interested in his grandfather’s vocation as an Episcopal priest. In Missouri, he became the Episcopal chaplain’s assistant and a licensed lay reader. He began conducting morning prayer services and even preaching sermons. He specifically loved the Episcopal church’s rituals and liturgy. Having the opportunity to help others find God’s love was his calling.
After his discharge, he went to Florida State University, where he met his first wife, Jacqueline Spinks. They married on December 14, 1963. Bill graduated from Virginia Theological seminary in May of 1965 with a Master’s degree in Divinity. He was ordained a deacon in June of that year and ordained a priest in April of 1966 at Christ Church in Cedar Key, Florida.
He briefly served at Christ Church in Pensacola, Fla.; and later at St. Paul’s Church in Jesup, Ga.; at Holy Trinity in Auburn, Ala.; and started St. Stephen’s church in Phenix City. Jackie passed away in 1996 from cancer while Bill was at St. Stephen’s.
Throughout his ministry, Bill was also an avid cartoonist. His cartoons depicted hilarity from the life of a minister and the workings of the church. They were enjoyed in the bulletins of his various churches. He won first place for cartoons from the National Newspaper Association from cartoons appearing in the Wayne County Press in Jesup. In 2007 he published a book of his cartoons to benefit the Rainbow Village organization which helps homeless people in the Atlanta area. His cartoons have appeared in four books from GwinnettForum.
On January 6, 2000, Bill married his second wife, the Rev. Lori Lowe. He retired from active ministry and began working as a supply priest for various churches. He supported Lori in her ministry at St. Mark’s in LaGrange, Ga.; St. Ann’s in Annapolis, Md.; St. Augustine’s in Wilmette, Ill.; St. Paul’s in McHenry, Il.; and, lastly, Grace Church in Sterling, Il. During his time in McHenry, Bill was a long-term supply priest to Holy Communion in Lake Geneva, Wis.
In 1969, in Jesup, Bill joined the Rotary Club. He was a member of the Rotary Club in every town where he lived for 56 years! Most recently, he was a member and secretary for the Rotary Club of Tucker.
Bill is survived by his sister Barbara of Denham Springs, La., and brothers Butch of Winchester, Va. and Joseph of Front Royal, Va. He is survived by his children Mary Kathryn (Gary) of Alpharetta; Billy (Natalie) of Wetumpka, Ala., and Christopher, Ethridge, Tenn,; his stepchildren Melissa (Stan) of Fort Collins, Colo., David (Brittany) of Atlanta, and Justin (Catherine) of Buford, as well as eleven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his friend, Claiborne.
Bill is predeceased by his first wife, Jacqueline Spinks, his second wife, the Rev. Lori Lowe, his mother and father, Edith and Ephraim, sister Ann, brother-in-law Mike, brother Timmy, and sister-in-law Anne.
Right up until his recent passing, Bill was enjoying himself living on his own in his house in Tucker. As a passionate historian, he worked on clergy biographies for the Diocese of Atlanta, a project he invented on his own, but enlisted many others to help him gather information and photos. He was a power for good while in his earthly life. Now heaven has a new angel.
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