James William "Bill" Herringdine

James William “Bill” Herringdine, age 72, peacefully left this world for the glory of the next early on January 15 while at St. Mary’s Hospice House, after living with lung cancer for nearly 5 1/2 years. He was born in Rawlings Sanitorium, Sandersville, Georgia, the only child of Harvey Paul Herringdine and Nellie Shirey Herringdine, both deceased. He never left the banks of the Oconee River, living in DeepStep, Sandersville, Milledgeville and Athens/Watkinsville.

He was always a teacher, even on vacations, leading his family along with a running commentary about the history of this or the meaning of that. He started and ended his career as a school teacher, first in the Washington County Georgia schools and later at the new North Oconee High School, where he developed the AP Economics program and was a well-liked teacher, with the 2011 yearbook dedicated to him. After his retirement in 2011, he enjoyed serving as a bailiff at the Oconee County Courthouse.

Bill never met a stranger and would start up interesting conversations with anyone willing to talk with him. His love for people led him to his success in engineering sales, and UGA development at the Botanical Garden, the Grady College and Planned Giving. Throw in his years as a UGA Grants Officer and at the Northeast Georgia Development Commission while he was pursuing his master of Political Science at UGA, and his career is complete. His undergraduate degree in Political Science was earned at Georgia College.

To him, the most important accomplishment of his lifetime, besides his children, was his part in forming St. Stephen’s Anglican Catholic Church in 1982, and his continuing involvement in growing the church with new members and an expanded campus. He spent over 35 years as a layreader, and was Senior Warden three times, the last time in 2021. He never stopped thinking about his church. Bill was a member of the Society of Mary.

Bill was President of the Morton Theater Corporation Board during the 1980s renovation.

His life long love of history was sparked first by a book he received when he was about ten, “The Golden History of the World”, and then by two of his Washington County teachers, Lucy Nell Smith and Isabel Snyder. As a history lover and participant in the 1950s goings on of the small town of Sandersville, he became known as a bit of a raconteur, recounting his experiences with his Sandersvillian Southern deep voice. Those close to him remember his story of “Too Much Turquoisee”, which none of us will be able to tell as well as he did.

Two dogs in his life, Honky and Cash, lived in his heart, and brought him much joy. As a true Southern “boy”, he loved country fried steak and fried okra, both of which he taught his wife Connie to make like his mother. So recount a colorful story, or eat some fried okra in Bill’s honor.

After his August 2016 diagnosis of stage four non small cell lung cancer, and subsequent EGFR mutation, which gave him five years to live life and travel with Connie and his family, the cancer finally outgrew treatments available. His oncologist Dr. Flynt’s treatment plan gave him time to finally fulfill his promise to take his children to the Grand Canyon last June. The entire staff of University Cancer and Blood Center took such excellent care of him, especially Whitney Knowlton, Melissa Dowd and Donna Allen. He thanks them all with his whole heart.

He is survived by his wife Connie, his son Jay and expectant wife Emily, and daughter Helen and her husband Mark.

Funeral services will be Thursday, January 20, 2022 at 12:00 pm at St. Stephen’s Anglican Catholic Church, 800 Timothy Road, Athens, GA 30606. He will be interred following the funeral in the St. Stephen’s Cemetery, one of his church projects, and will rest in the view of his beloved church.

In lieu of flowers he requests donations be made to Saint Stephen’s Anglican Catholic Church or The Cancer Foundation of Northeast Georgia.

Lord and Stephens, West is in charge of arrangements.

www.lordandstephens.com