William Grant Cloaninger
d. December 18, 2023
William G. Cloaninger, 91, of Matthews, North Carolina, passed away on December 18, 2023. He was born on April 16,1932, in Asheville, North Carolina. William, also known as Bill, was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend.
Bill is survived by his wife of 70 years, Anne King Cloaninger, his three children , Ken Cloaninger (Sheila) Kerr Cloaninger (Linda), and Karen Middleton (Dave). And his sister Pat Cloaninger Berryhill.
He is also survived by his 7 grandchildren, Grant Cloaninger (Christine) , Lindsey Cloaninger Heydary (Mazi) , June Cloaninger, Lauren Cloaninger, Amanda White (Shawn), Anne Marie Cloaninger and Angela Hobbs(Zach). Also 6 great grandchildren, Stella, Lincoln , Blakely, Payton, Mason and Jaden.
Bill graduated from Central High School in the class of 1951. He received his bachelor and masters degrees from Western Carolina University.
Bill served in the Army during the Korean War. He bravely defended our country. He attended the mountain training center at Camp Hale, Colorado. Afterwards in spent one year in Japan. After his military service, Bill pursued a career as a teacher and coach at Myers Park High School in Charlotte. He coached tennis and cross country and won 13 state championships. He was a passionate educator who inspired countless students throughout his tenure. After retirement he and Anne enjoyed traveling and
spending time at their home at Sunset Beach where many happy family memories were made!
Bill was an active member of Philadelphia Presbyterian Church in Mint Hill. His faith was an important aspect of his life, and he found solace and community in his place of worship. In his free time, Bill built an airplane, several houses and enjoyed playing tennis and ping pong. He found great joy in these hobbies and shared his passion with those around him.
There will be a celebration of life service held at 3:00 pm on March 9, 2024 at Philadelphia Presbyterian Church in Mint Hill, NC.
William G. Cloaninger will be deeply missed by all who knew him. His legacy of love, dedication, and service will continue to inspire future generations.
Service Schedule
Celebration of Life
Saturday, March 9, 2024
Starts at 3:00pm (Eastern time)
Philadelphia Presbyterian Church
11501 Bain School Rd, Mint Hill, NC 28227
Robert G. "Jerry" Qualls
Coach Cloaninger was the epitiome of the "nice coach" in cross country. No yelling, no snarling; just positivity. And yet, I think our team had won 5 the State Championship five years in a row by 1969, which was my last year on the team. His coaching has literally lasted me a lifetime and I am still running cross country for the USA Track and Field National Championship (in my age group) in three weeks. I will dedicate this race to Coach Cloaninger.----------- Jerry Qualls
Doug Bethune
I remember Coach C well. Those were some really fun years. Some of the best and Coach deserves a lot of the credit. I can't add much to what Jerry said even though his sport was not mine but I remember Coach as more of a chaperone than as a tennis coach but I think that was perfect for our group. What a great guy to keep a quiet eye on us. Thanks Coach!
Katharine Lucas (Monk)
John Pitts Dorrier Jr
Coach Cloaninger was a wonderful man and tennis coach, particularly when I wasn't a nice boy or player. Thanks for those great memories Coach!
John Munroe Douglas Jr
I think Jerry Qualls said it very well. I wasnt particularly outstanding in either either cross-country or tennis, but Coach Cloninger always made the least among us feel supported and welcome. Very nice to read about his life's journey and the complete man that he was apart from his tremendous impact on MPHS students.