William Carroll Obituary

William Royce Carroll, 90, of Piedmont, SC, passed away on Thursday, July 10, 2025, at Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital. He was surrounded by his loved ones and died peacefully. A memorial service will be held on Friday, July 18, 2025, at Anderson Funeral Home in Beaufort, South Carolina at 11:00 AM. Graveside Services with Full Military Honors will follow at the Beaufort National Cemetery beginning promptly at 1:00 PM. William "Bill" was born on January 27, 1935, in Norcross, GA, the son of the late Amos Richard Carroll and Cecile (Simpson) Carroll. He married Gretchen Garbade of Ridgeland, SC. She was the love of his life and he was completely devoted to her throughout their 62 years of marriage. He graduated from Duke University in 1958. Even though he joked that he was just one of the "poor farm kids" they let in, he was very proud of his Duke degree and was a lifelong Blue Devil fan - no doubt his blood ran Duke blue! After graduating from Duke, he joined the Marine Corps and attended flight school. During his time in the Marine Corps, he served two tours of duty in Vietnam where he flew F-8's and OV-10's, and a tour in the Mediterranean as the commander of a CH-46 helicopter squadron. For his service, he received several medals, of which he was most proud of the Distinguished Flying Cross and The Bronze Star of Valor. After retiring from the Marine Corps as a Lieutenant Colonel, he worked for another 20 years in international sales with Lockheed Martin. But as the saying goes, "Once a Marine, always a Marine!" Over the last 25 years, he and Gretchen built their dream home and a dream life on Jenkins Creek in Dataw Island, SC, where he enjoyed golf, fishing, and entertaining friends and family. He was so proud that he and Gretchen had the means to create such a beautiful home and he shared his gift of hospitality with so many people. He always said that he had three loves: God, family, and country. His kids knew the truth: it was God, Gretchen, and grandkids! Survivors include his wife Gretchen Garbade Carroll; daughter Mary Lynn Carroll Sepkowitz of Charlotte, NC (Warren); sons Richard Carroll of Santa Rosa, CA (Jennifer) and Lee Carroll of Greenville, SC (Lee Ann); and five grandchildren who absolutely adored him (Isabel Sepkowitz, Emma Sepkowitz, Amos Sepkowitz, Royce Carroll (Ally) and Ella Carroll. He is predeceased by his brother, Harry Lee Carroll, and his niece, Deborah Carroll Stokes. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to St. Jude's Hospital or the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.