Mr. William Ralph Gresham, Sr. Obituary

Mr. William Ralph Gresham, Sr. 93 of 2331 Pendleton St. in Albany died November 8, 2008 at his residence.A native of Dadeville, AL, Mr. Gresham was born February 12, 1915 to the late William Henry and Sara Elizabeth Pearson Gresham. He attended Opelika Elementary School in Opelika, AL and graduated from Tallapoosa County High School in Dadeville, AL in 1934. Mr. Gresham stared his career with Georgia Power Company Aug. of 1936 in Columbus, GA as a helper and forester. He became truck driver and line crew in 1938 and service man in 1940. Through his career with Georgia Power Co. Mr. Gresham served as local manager in several towns including Alma, GA, Richland, GA and Montezuma, GA. In 1963 he served as Assistant District Manager of the Summerville District at Chickamauga and 1966 as the Assistant District Manager of the Cedartown District in Cedartown, GA and later retired as Cedartown District Manager in 1980. During his tenure with Georgia Power Mr. Gresham always gave back civically to the communities in which he lived. He was past-president of the Lions Club in Alma, vice -president and director of the Kiwanis Club in Montezuma, Man of the Year in Bacon Co., GA in 1953, member of the Chamber of Commerce in all towns where he resided; serving as president in Alma, GA, Montezuma, GA and later in Cedartown, GA in 1969 and was man of the year in 1970. Mr. Gresham was past director of the Heart Fund drive and later served as the chairman of the Industrial Drive. He also served on the Flint River Development Association in Macon, Co. GA for 8 years. Mr. Gresham was a member of the Board of Deacons in Baptist churches in Alma, Richland, Montezuma, Chickamauga and Cedartown serving as chairman in Alma and Chickamauga. He also served as Governor's Aides to several Georgia Governors and was an avid pilot.Mr. Gresham has lived in Albany since 1981 where he was a member of First Baptist Church and the Southwest Georgia Exchange Club.Survivors include his son, William Ralph Gresham, Jr. and his wife Linda of Columbia, SC, daughter, Nancy Gresham Crowe and her husband the late Gene Crowe of Albany, grandchildren, William Gresham III and his wife Toni of Columbia, SC, Mary Ann Berry of Florence, SC, Frank Crowe and his wife Emily of Calhoun, GA, Jennifer Venable and her husband Dave of Albany, 10 great-grandchildren, brother, Rev. Billy Gresham and his wife Catherine of Sylacauga, AL, sister, Margaret Gresham Jackson of Dadeville, AL, numerous and much loved nieces and nephews, sister-in-law, Jeanette Gresham and her husband the late Frank Gresham of Decatur, AL, Dr. Peggy Pinkston.Mr. Gresham was preceded in death by his loving wife, Ernestine P. Gresham and brothers, Edward Gresham and Frank Gresham.Those desiring may make memorial to the Southwest Georgia Exchange Club.

Mr. William Ralph Gresham, Sr. Obituary

February 12, 1915 - November 8, 2008