LAURINBURG — Horace Bertram "Bill" McInnis, 76, passed away Dec. 5, 2014, at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte following a brief illness.
A memorial service will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at Laurinburg Presbyterian Church, where he was a lifelong member. Visitation will follow in the church fellowship hall.
He is survived by his wife, Emma Jean Benton McInnis; his son, Mac McInnis (Crystal) of Laurinburg; his daughter, Maggie Wells (Chip) of Laurinburg; his sister, Miriam Bounds (Charles) of Laurinburg; his grandchildren; Hunter McInnis, Emma Wells, and Tripp Wells; his sisters-in-law, Margaret LeNeave (Greg) and Carolyn McClure of Charlotte; his nephews, Brian (Meredith) Bounds and David Bounds; his great nephews and nieces, Walt, Poppy, Caroline, and Turner Bounds.
Bill was born in Marlboro County, South Carolina, as a son of the late Horace and Margaret Hubbard McInnis. He was a 1956 graduate of Laurinburg High School where he left his "Last Will and Testament" in the school yearbook that defined his later life: "I, Bill McInnis, leave and take my most valuable possessions — my golf clubs — with me." He was an avid golfer, and was named the "Most Valuable Athlete" whilst he was at St. Andrews University. His coach wrote: "There is no greater honor for a man than to be accepted as outstanding in a man's world."
Golf was a large part of his life and Scotch Meadows Country Club was his second home. He was instrumental in forming a golf group, "The Shootout," that played nearly every Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday afternoon.
He was formerly an active coach in Parks and Recreation football and would drive to Laurel Hill and Gibson to pick up and return boys who could not have otherwise participated in athletics.
His love of athletics continued on to Scotland High School football, where one often-repeated story resonates his "matter of fact" personality: Returning from a playoff game where the Scots were defeated along with a car full of adults, including the Scotland Athletic Director, Bill let out a tirade about the foolish plays that were called by the Scots during the game. Silence filled the car when Bill stopped talking. After a few moments, the athletic director replied, "Well, Bill, why don't you tell us what you really think?"
Bill also enjoyed bird hunting, raising English setters, and fishing at a pond in the sandhills.
He was also as one Duke fan put it, "… a rare breed, he was a good-natured Carolina fan."
After high school graduation, Bill spent four years in the US Navy, and then returned to Laurinburg where he was employed briefly with the International Harvester company and later with what was called Simmons Heating and Flooring. He married his sweetheart and classmate, Emma Jean in 1961.
Bill began St. Andrews where he graduated in 1967, after which they moved to Fort Mill, South Carolina with Springs Mills. They returned to Laurinburg where he became manager of the Crandall plant warehouse until becoming plant manager at the Lee L. Woodard Furniture Company.
Branching out, he and "Scoofer" Jordan formed the Jordan-McInnis Construction Company which later became McInnis Construction Co. until he retired in August 2011.
Family was a big part of his life, and as his sister, Miriam, remembered, "Bill could do no harm in mother's eyes." He coached his two children in Parks and Recreation activities, and even adopted his sister's extended family as his own.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to Laurinburg Presbyterian Church, 300 W. Church St., Laurinburg, NC 28352 or the Men's Golf Association, Scotch Meadows Country Club, 8000 Tartan Ln., Laurinburg, NC 28352.
McDougald Funeral Home and Crematorium is serving the McInnis family.