William R. “Bill” Parton Jr., age 77, a resident of Lexington, S.C., and formerly of Oliver Springs, died Tuesday, Jan. 29, at his home.
Mr. Parton was born Sept. 22, 1935, in Anderson County. He graduated from the Oliver Springs High School in 1951, and following his high school graduation, he attended the Knoxville Business College.
Before his retirement in the mid-1980s, he was a well-known Oliver Springs business man who co-owned, with his father and brother, local coal strip-mining operations, Parton Coal Mining and Tri-County Mining Company.
Bill was an avid student of God’s word. He was a member of Beech Park Baptist Church, and he formerly served the church as a deacon and Sunday School Teacher.
He possessed a great passion for writing poems, and stories of his early childhood in Tennessee.
He was preceded in death by his parents, William R. Parton and Dorothy Mae Johnson Parton, and by a son, David Allen Parton.
Mr. Parton is survived by his children, Deborah Parton Jetton and Chuck Warner of Sewanee, Ga., Valorie Parton of Oak Ridge, Anthony Scott “Tony” Parton and wife Teresa of Evans, Ga., and Gregory Mark Parton and wife Annette of Clinton; and the children’s mother, Ellen Parton of Oliver Springs; and by 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.
He is also survived by a brother, Reece Parton of Oliver Springs; by a niece and nephew and their families; and by friends in South Carolina and extended family.
The family will receive friends Friday, Feb. 1, between 6 and 8 p.m. at Sharp Funeral Home.
The funeral will be held Saturday, Feb. 2, at 2 p.m. in the chapel of Sharp Funeral Home with Pastor Garvan Walls officiating. Burial and graveside services will follow at Anderson Memorial Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests a memorial gift to the Second Harvest Food Bank in Knoxville.
Sharp Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. An online guest book is available at www.sharpfh.com.
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