William I. "Bill" Fogle

On October 6th at around 10:30 pm , having just turned 82 on September 8th, William Irving “Bill” Fogle launched his boat from the landing for an early and out-of-season duck hunt. If you knew Bill, hunting out of season now and again just made for more fun and adventure in life and boy did he live life!! Without telling us or the wonderful caregivers at JF Hawkins of Newberry, SC, he made sure the gates were locked, the cows were in and he set his alarm for the hunt last night. This time it’s the season he had always longed for...the one that will not end. He won’t be returning this time and this hunt comes with the greatest adventure of all....a reunion of sorts .... with dear family and friends who he has not embraced in a long while. His loving, faithful and long-time, furry companion, Beau , was loaded in the boat and ready to retrieve. Beau and Bill are primed for a frosty, cool sunrise where the ducks will blacken the sky, ready to surely exceed his limit today, maybe even snag a wild hog, a deer or three. He will be giddy and elated in the company who will be floating down river in the duck blind with him - his younger brother, Jan Aubert, and his 3 sons, James Aubrey III, William I , Jr. “Rudy”, and little Carey Jonathan. After the first round, and if the game warden doesn’t intervene, Bill will be planning the greatest roasted duck feast. It will be hosted by his daughter, Caroline Turner, who will certainly chide him as to why he is late for her gourmet dinner with delightful, witty quips of humor for his very tardy, yet grand style. Late was not only fashionable for Bill but somewhat of a trademark. That quality of ‘ better late than not at all” will surely succeed him. His mother, Bertha Metts Fogle Austin, will scold some of his crude, bold language at the table but ensure all are gathered for grace and hand-in-hand before the meal. His ex-wife and soulmate, Josephine Caroline Stroble, will help celebrate the hunt, along with his dad, James Aubrey Fogle, his step dad, Thomas M. Austin, and his step-brother Tommy Austin, Jr. All of them, and a host of other relatives and friends will share in the joy of yet another smashing and unforgettable party with wild Bill. Those of us who didn’t get the hunting license and had hoped for a few more good times with Bill, our Dad, brother, uncle, grandfather, husband and friend will all have to wait out this season. Waiting with full hearts and so many fond memories will be Harriet Dawkins Fogle, his wife (Orangeburg, SC), daughters Tamra (Lendon) Tootle (Newberry) and Hannah Marissa and son, Burton Austin Fogle (both of Myrtle Beach), along with his grandchildren, Parrish Gabrielle Behles (Columbia) and Waylon Turner Streath (Myrtle Beach), his nephew, Aubrey Fogle (Orangeburg), his sisters LaJean (James) Beemer (Orangeburg), Bonnye (T. William) Burke (Oklahoma), Talula Austin (John) Guntner (Atlanta) son-in-law, J.R. Turner (Hickory, NC), and his special friend who drove several hours so often and so faithfully to visit him hours on end, Clyde Grovenstein (Hampton, SC). All of us with his extended family of nieces, nephews and in-laws will be ever anxious to embrace him once again with lots of laughter, love and more adventures. His Southern Welders Supply chain family will continue to demonstrate the pride he beamed in the company he and his brother founded so successfully over three decades ago. If Bill were asked, “what can I do at this time for your family”? He would tell you that he would be grateful that instead of flowers, he would hope that you will do an unexpected and unsolicited act of kindness for someone less blessed than you or him or to consider adopting a pet that needs the unconditional love that it will return over a lifetime. He would ask you to toast his memory with zest and most of all, he would want you to just live life large! And vote Republican on November 3rd !

Due to COVID -19, the family will celebrate Bill privately. McSwain -Evans Funeral Home of Newberry, SC will be assisting the family.

On Monday, October 12th a register will be available for anyone who would like stop and sign at McSwain-Evans Funeral Home.