Obituary of William R. "Bill" VanGilder
William R. (“Bill”) VanGilder, 85, formerly of Fairmont, passed away on May 23, 2018 at the Arthur B Hodges Center at Edgewood Summit in Charleston.
He was born on April 7, 1933, in Owings, (Harrison County) West Virginia, son of the late William McKinley VanGilder and the late Doris Weaver VanGilder.
From 1950 to 1954 he served in the United States Navy aboard the submarine USS Sablefish (SS-303), where he participated in Mediterranean tours with the 6th Fleet.
While serving in the Navy, Bill earned his West Virginia State High School Equivalent Diploma in 1953. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Fairmont State College in 1957 and in 1966 was registered as a West Virginia Public Accountant.
After college, Mr. VanGilder, was employed as an accountant for Fairmont Aluminum Company for 5 years and Melpar West Virginia Corporation for four years where he served briefly as Plant Manager during phase out of local operations. He then worked several years as a Manager and Appraiser for Fairmont Building and Loan.
For 32 years (1965 – 1997), Bill worked for W. S. Thomas Transfer Inc in Fairmont where he served as Vice President, Assistant General Manager, Office Manager, Board Secretary / Treasurer, and Safety Director. Bill was active in the West Virginia Motor Truck Association serving in a diverse variety of roles, including Chairman of the Board from 1993 to 1995 and regularly as a Judge at the Association’s annual Safe Driving Truck Rodeo.
He participated in the Fairmont Jaycees serving as Treasurer and Executive Vice President. He also served as President and Vice President of Jayenne Elementary School PTA. Bill was a basketball official and member of International, West Virginia, and Northern West Virginia Associations of Approved Basketball Officials.
Bill was a member of the Fairmont Field Club where he was an avid tennis player and served as Tennis Chairman on its governing Board. For vacations, he enjoyed traveling with his wife JoAnn to watch professional tennis tournaments on Martha’s Vineyard and in Charleston, South Carolina. He had a passion for landscaping and working in his garden.
His wife of fifty-seven years, JoAnn Snyder VanGilder, passed on April 30, 2013.
Bill is survived by his three children, Ava Jo Harris of Mebane, North Carolina, Jeffrey (Nancy) VanGilder of Charleston, and Jay VanGilder of Boyds, Maryland, and five great grandchildren, Jason (Karen) Harris of Lillington, North Carolina, Sara VanGilder of Manassas Virginia, Miranda VanGilder of Germantown, Maryland, John VanGilder of Morgantown, and Beau VanGilder of Boyds, Maryland.
He is also survived by a brother David (Ethelyn) VanGilder of Bridgeport, and a sister Beulah Riley of Monticello, Florida.
The family would like to thank the nurses and staff at the Arthur B Hodges Center in Charleston for their exceptional loving and personal care provided to Bill during the past year.
Mr. VanGilder donated his body for the advancement of medical education and research to the Human Gift Registry at West Virginia University Medical Center.
The family has entrusted arrangements to Ford Funeral Home, 201 Columbia St., Fairmont, WV 26554. All services will be private to the family. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.FORDFUNERALHOMES.com.
