William Lanford

William Thomas Lanford "Bill", 87, passed away on September 5, 2024, in Decatur, GA. Bill was born on April 20, 1937 at Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta, GA, to Odell and Lillian Lanford. He grew up on Jefferson Place in Decatur, attending Oakhurst Elementary and Decatur Boys High. He graduated from high school in 1955 and completed college credit at Georgia State. He started his career with AT&T (then Western Electric) in customer service and retired after 35 years. He served as a Gunnery Sargeant in the Marine Corp Reserves for 20 years. Bill also worked for several brokers as a real estate agent in the Atlanta area. He ran several Peachtree Road races on the Fourth of July and enjoyed watching his beloved Atlanta Braves, fishing, and boating.

Bill married Patricia Lanford "Pat" on April 18, 1964 in Collins Memorial United Methodist Church in Bolton, GA. The couple had two little girls, Lynn and Anne, and raised them on Tanglewood Road in Decatur. On Tanglewood, neighbors became found family, enjoying trips to Leafmore pool, progressive dinners, Easter Egg hunts, and Halloween parties. The Lanford family also enjoyed weekends on Lake Hartwell, where Bill was always willing to haul his beloved SeaCraft with his Jeep for endless rounds of water skiing. Years later, Bill helped his grown daughter Lynn and her young family move back to the East Coast by finding and fixing up a house for them in the Oak Grove neighborhood. "Granddaddy" enjoyed spending time with his grandaughters, taking them on spring break trips to the North Carolina mountains and summer trips to Destin, Florida.

Bill is survived by his daughter, Lynn (John), his granddaughters Emily and Kristin, his niece Lane Turner Norton (Jim), and his great niece Sarah Norton (Ryan), and nephew Andy Rusk (Danielle)

niece by marriage Laurie Harling Hoefer (Chuck), his great nephews Noah, Charlie, and Tyler, and his great-great nephew Jack. He is preceded in death by his wife Pat, his daughter Anne, his sister Janice Lanford Rusk, his brother-in-law Ben Harling Jr, and his niece by marriage Lisa Harling Raynes.

William Lanford, age 87, of Decatur, Georgia passed away Thursday, September 5, 2024 peacefully in his sleep after his health failed recovering from double pneumonia in hospice care. A visitation is planned for Saturday, September 14, 10-11AM at A.S. Turner & Sons, followed by a memorial service in the chapel. The ashes of William, Patricia, and Alice Anne will be interred in the Lanford family plot at Old Shadowlawn Memorial Gardens, Lawrenceville, GA at 3 PM. Memorial donations can be made in William's name to the Senior Adult Ministry of Oak Grove United Methodist Church in Decatur.