William Gaspard De Coligny

Obituary

William ‘Bill’ Gaspard de Coligny, 87, of Durham, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on January 26, 2025, to join his beloved wife, Margie. He leaves a legacy of devotion to faith, family, education, and creative expression. Bill was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and teacher. He loved meeting new people, learning about new cultures and traveling the world. His baritone enriched multiple choirs and barbershop quartettes. He was a poet, painter, philosopher, leader and notorious joker. Few things tickled him more than a new idea or a clever turn of phrase.

Bill was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on May 17, 1937. Bill’s family moved to Bon Air, Virginia when he was a young boy. There, he graduated from St. Christopher’s School in 1955. Bill attended Trinity College in Hartford Connecticut, where he excelled academically and athletically as senior class president, a football and track and field star, and a fine arts major. He met his beautiful bride his senior year on a blind date. He and Margie were married July 1st , 1961. After dividing the 1960 professional football season between the Chicago Bears and the Saskatchewan Rough Riders, he went on to earn his MAT from Duke University and his PhD from Syracuse University.

His first role in higher education was in the Admissions office at Syracuse University. In 1967 he accepted a position at University of Delaware, as the Assistant Dean of The College of Education. The family moved to St. Croix, U.S.V.I. in 1974, Bill thrived as the Headmaster of St. Croix Country Day School. He built an art studio on the roof of their home, where he painted several cherished scenes from life on St. Croix. Bill and Margie returned to the mainland in 1979. Bill served as the Headmaster of St. Anne’s Belfield for two years, in Charlottesville, Virgina.

In 1981 Bill and Margie wanted to live near the ocean again and chose Ocean Pines, Maryland, their home for the next 31 years. Bill took a hiatus from education and started a landscaping business. His need for creative expression was fulfilled in part by landscaping, and he continued to paint the birds and plants of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Bill was a leader in building this new and growing community. He spent 12 years as a volunteer fire-fighter, served on the Arts Council and was a founder of The Ocean Pines Community Church. He sang in the choir, served on several committees and landscaped the property.

Bill and Margie then moved into Croasdaile Village in 2012. They enjoyed playing bridge, and Bill loved sculpting and painting in the wood shop. Bill was deeply involved with Few Chapel at Croasdaile, thoroughly enjoying the study groups, vespers, and Chaplain Laurie’s spiritual leadership. Once Bill transitioned to the Pavilion, he enjoyed loving care from all the staff who became far more than caregivers, but his cousins, as he liked to say.

While at Croasdaile, Bill completed his book Otherwise: Live Not Pose. Part autobiography, part exploration of his Huguenot ancestor, Gaspard de Coligny, and part poetry anthology, it serves as the collective works of a brilliant, loving, faith filled man who will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

Bill is survived by; daughters, Elaine (David), Cynthia (Tommy) and Janine; his grandchildren, Brooke, Emmanuelle (Kevin), Kyle, Andrew (Paige), Jack, Brendan (Molly), Billy (Juniper) and Lauren; his step- grandchildren, Uyunda, Deotis (Georgia), Zachary (Sydney); and his great-grandchildren, Cooper, James, Margaret, Weston, Hatteras, and Lennon; and several nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife Margie, parents Calvert and Julia de Coligny, his youngest grandson Christopher (Jessie); his siblings Calvert, Anne and Amanda.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday February 1st, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at the Croasdaile VillageFew Chapel, 2600 Croasdaile Farm Parkway, Durham, NC 27705.

If you are not able to attend, you can watch the service on Zoom. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84510734404?pwd=cndIbHNiR0NqQlE4c2kxdGdKcHM1dz09