William "Bill" Davis Caldwell

William Bill Davis Caldwell, 72, of Folly Beach, SC and formerly of Naples, FL, husband of Christine Griffin Caldwell, entered eternal rest Monday, October 23, 2017.

Born June 10, 1945 in Gadsden, Alabama, Bill was the son of Sylvester Striplin Caldwell, II. and Elsie Reynolds Davis Caldwell. He grew up in the Akron, OH area and attended Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, VA, receiving first place awards for military proficiency and marksmanship. He attended New College in Sarasota, FL before completing his B.A. in history and B.A. in social sciences at Hiram College in Hiram, OH. He then attended the University of Florida Law School before accepting a one-year assignment as a VISTA volunteer, where he taught reading in Snowhill, AL.

Bill was a veteran. After college, he attended basic training for the US Army at Fort Benning. He earned a perfect score on his written test, bringing tears to his drill sergeant's eyes. In October 1970, Bill was honorably discharged from the US Army and moved to Naples, FL, where his parents had lived off and on since 1956.

In January 1971, Bill began working at First National Bank and Trust. The bank, including various mergers and transitions, became his professional home for the next 30 years. He held numerous executive-level positions from marketing and business development to indirect lending. Bill completed the Graduate School of Retail Bank Management from the University of Virginia. Throughout his tenure, he even held honorary roles, such as coordinator of the First National Bank Boat Show, which he maintained for more than 15 years. Bill retired as senior vice president of indirect lending in 2004.

Bill was a leader and a community advocate. He was a member of the Naples area Chamber of Commerce and Optimist International, president of the 4-H Foundation of Collier County in Naples, FL, and was very active in Boys Scouts. He was even found serving as a games chairman for the Naples Junior Woman's Club, of which his wife was a member.

Bill and his wife loved collecting antiques, especially Japanese cloisonn", maritime ivory scrimshaw, and 19th century furniture, which Bill expertly refinished. Bill was extremely creative and had a keen appreciation for nature and wildlife. He was an avid snorkeler and SCUBA diver. He enjoyed boating, fishing, hunting for lobsters, and searching for shark teeth along the coast and in the Caribbean. He loved stargazing, searching for unique rocks, and feeding the birds and squirrels in the mountains of North Carolina. His love for many of these activities have been engrained in his children and grandchildren. Bill and his wife moved to Folly Beach near Charleston, SC in 2014 to be near their three grandchildren.They were happily married as best friends from 1975-2017.

Bill is survived by his wife of 41 years, Christine Griffin Caldwell; son, Brian Griffin Caldwell and his wife Kristy Kearney Caldwell; daughter, Meredith Reynolds Caldwell Johnson and her husband Trevor Scott Johnson; grandson Canon Griffin Caldwell; and granddaughters, Brielle Elizabeth Johnson and Hadley Reynolds Johnson. Bill was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Martha Elizabeth Pierce.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of Charleston (Inpatient Center), 4975 LaCross Road, Suite 200, North Charleston, SC 29406-6531.