William Madison's Obituary
William “Bill” Madison of Cornelius, North Carolina, passed away on Thursday, August 29, 2024, at his home, viewing his gardens, and listening to the much loved waterfall of his pond, after a long and valiant battle with colon cancer. He was surrounded by his loving family and beloved dogs. Bill was born on December 22, 1952, in Atlanta, GA. He was 71 years old.
Bill’s early years in Elizabethtown Kentucky formed his character: Strong, independent, playful, open-hearted, and generous. His days were filled with memories of playing baseball, high school football and growing fresh vegetables with his father. His love of cars was sparked by drag racing through the back roads in his youth. This love for automobiles would stay with him throughout his life and would later serve to help grow his career in the automobile industry.
After high school he volunteered for the Navy during the Vietnam era. He served four years active duty from 1972-1976 on the CVN-65 USS Enterprise ship, where he was in the nuclear SAM (surface-to-air) division. Following his tour of duty, he attended Western Kentucky University, followed by a long and successful career in the automobile industry. He began as a rising star, becoming the youngest sales manager for Paul Miller Ford in Lexington, Kentucky. Bill’s career later took him to North Carolina in 1989, where he was a partner and general manager at the Toyota dealership in Gastonia, NC. He later was employed by Southeast Toyota Distributer’s Jim Moran and Associates out of Florida. At the time of his death, Bill was employed by JD Power and Associates, as a digital marketing director for Honda and Acura. Bill was forever grateful to his co-workers there, for their unwavering care and support during the final years and months of his cancer battle.
In 1982, Bill and Kathy began their marriage in Nicholasville, KY, just outside of Lexington, KY. They lived on five acres, in an A-framed house, by the cliffs of the Kentucky river, with dogs, four wheelers and hiking paths. Bill loved to cut wood from his property to use in a woodburning stove when the weather was cold. As soon as his coat and tie came off from a busy day at work, he threw on jeans and a tee shirt to work outside. He found his joy in nature. 1989, Bill and Kathy built a beautiful family life in Charlotte, NC and later moved nearby to the lake in Cornelius, NC. Bill enjoyed boating on Lake Norman, gardening, travel, mountain hiking, biking, tennis and later pickleball. He was known to play pickleball with a “take-home bag” of chemotherapy strapped across his shoulder. His illness never slowed him down and only inspired him to do many of the things that his busy life had kept him from before his diagnosis. He loved sailing in the Caribbean, snorkeling and sleeping under the star-filled open sky of the catamaran. During his four-year cancer journey, he explored Italy twice, Ireland, enjoyed riding in a seaplane over Lake Como and climbed the hills of Switzerland. He never missed a beat or felt sorry for himself. He was a true inspiration to all who knew him.
Bill loved being the fun "Pop Pop" or uncle who played in the pool, lake, and snow with the kids. He rode bikes with them, attended and cheered their many soccer/football games, but also loved doing the simple things, like fixing them early morning pancakes after their numerous sleepovers. He enjoyed fatherhood with that same delight.
If you could define Bill in just one word, it would truly be "giver." Not just to Kathy, who he loved to spoil, but to all. He appreciated everyone and his ultimate joy in life was to make others happy. For example, he would have pizza delivered to the nurses’ station while he was in the hospital and would take breakfast or donuts to the infusion team before he went in for his regular chemotherapy infusions. He was more than appreciative to all who gave him support and love through his long cancer journey, including his many friends. Bill's life was defined by his deep love for his family and his unwavering dedication to those he loved. His kindness, wisdom, and sense of humor will be dearly missed by all who knew him.
Bill is survived by his devoted wife of 42 years, Kathleen "Kathy" (Healy), and his two children, Bridget Madison of Nashville, TN, and Tim Wilder and his wife, Hayden (Henderson) of Dunedin, FL. He was a proud and loving grandfather to his three cherished grandchildren: Noble, Holden, and Mazetta Wilder. Bill leaves behind his sister Lydia Kaye Barker of Kentucky, as well as his brother Joe Madison (Anna) of West Virginia. He also leaves behind his brothers-in-law Richard (Linda) Healy, Robert Healy, Daniel Healy, and Michael (Diana) Healy, all of Kentucky, and many beloved nieces and nephews. In addition, he is survived by many of the Boone family of Kentucky and Utah. He was preceded in death by his father, Lewis Madison, his mother, Lydia Frances Madison, and his sister, Helen Shannon Madison.
Bill’s "Celebration of Life" will be held Monday, October 14, 2024 at 12 p.m. at Safe Harbor Peninsula Yacht Club. Naval Military Honors will be held at 1:30 PM following the service at Yacht Club.
The family requests that any donations be directed to the American Cancer Society, https://donate.cancer.org/
"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community. And while I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die. For the harder I work, the more I live. I cherish life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It's a sort of splendid torch that I've got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it off to future generations." - George Bernard Shaw
What’s your fondest memory of William?
What’s a lesson you learned from William?
Share a story where William's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with William you’ll never forget.
How did William make you smile?
