Mr. Bill Painter, 92, died June 4, 2009. He was born February 23, 1917 in Atlanta, GA to the late William Painter and the late Ruby Anchors Painter. He was a graduate of Tech High School and received a B. S. Degree in Industrial Management from Georgia Tech in 1938. He was president of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. Mr. Painter was employed by South-Eastern Underwriters Association in the engineering department in 1938 working in Georgia, North Carolina and Alabama until he was called to active duty as a 2nd Lieutenant in March 1941, having been commissioned in 1939. He sailed overseas from New Orleans as Assistant Quartermaster of Task Force 1291 in February 1942. The mission was relief of British Army units protecting the oil refineries in Curacas, Netherlands West Indies. He continued there until he was posted to Puerto Rico in 1944 and subsequently to Batista Field, Cuba as Base Quartermaster. In December 1945 he returned to Atlanta and reverted to Army Reserve Status in April 1946. Bill continued in the active reserve and assumed command of the 449th Quartermaster Depot, later the 449th Field Depot, in 1965. He completed the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and was promoted to Colonel in 1965. His command, a part of the 81st Army Reserve Command, consisted of more than 40 units of the active reserve in Georgia and Florida. He commanded this 449th until his 1971 retirement. His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit. He returned to work with South-Eastern Underwriters in 1946 being in charge of the Atlanta Field Office and on the home office staff. He was subsequently appointed Assistant Chief Engineer and retired from the successor organization, Insurance Services Office in 1982. He was a Registered Professional Engineer, a Certified Safety Professional and past president, Southeastern Chapter , Society of Fire Protection Engineers. Bill served six 2-year elected terms (1963-1974) as a Decatur, Georgia, City Commissioner, three of those years as Mayor Pro Tem. He was president of DeKalb Municipal Association, a district vice president and on the Board of Directors of Georgia Municipal Association. He was appointed to the State Advisory Committee on Factory Built Housing by Governor Jimmy Carter. Bill married Betty Farmer of Wrens, GA in 1946 at the Glenn Memorial Little Chapel. They bought a lot, built a house and moved to Decatur in 1951. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Decatur since 1952, where he served on the Diaconate, taught the Alert Class and was a choir member and church Historian. He was president of Clairmont Oaks, Inc., DeKalb Community Council on Aging and DeKalb Grand Jurors Association and a lifetime member of DeKalb Chamber of Commerce. He was a member since 1939 of Grant Park Masonic Lodge. He was a lifetime member of Reserve Officers Association, Military Officers Association of America and Military Order of The World Wars, and a member of Post 134, American Legion. He was a member of the Decatur Rotary Club, DeKalb Historical Society, Atlanta Men’s Garden Club, High Museum of Art, Atlanta Botanical Gardens and Friends of Fernbank. Bill and Betty traveled in all 50 states and extensively in Canada and Mexico. They have traveled world wide on six continents with ten trips to Europe. He was preceded in death by his brother Robert S. Painter. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Betty Farmer Painter; daughter, Betsy and husband Haynes Roberts and grandchildren, Haynes Roberts, Jr. and wife Megan, Katie Roberts Morris and husband Whit, Claire Roberts; daughter, Susan and husband Rick Pariani and grandchildren, Allison Pariani, Mark Pariani; and daughter, Sally and husband Tom Fortier and grandchildren, Henry Fortier, Riley Fortier. Funeral services will be held at The First Baptist Church of Decatur, Thursday, June 11th at 11 AM, Dr. Peter Rhea Jones and Rev. Julie Pennington-Russell officiating. Interment Decatur Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the First Baptist Church of Decatur, Painter Memorial Fund, 308 Clairemont Ave., Decatur, GA; or The American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 56566, Atlanta, GA 30343. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, June 10 from 6 to 8 PM at A. S. Turner and Sons.
