Commencement Speech, June 6, 1971:

Listed in the Program as “Fred and the Rattlesnake of the Rockies” but Bill says it’s “actually entitled The Myth of Sisyphus, or It’s Hard to Row a Garden, Ho, Ho, Ho, or How We Were Flushed Through the Intellectual Vortex into the Slimy Sewer of The World.”

  

 

December 31, 2022
Chapel Hill, North Carolina – William Fitzhugh Williams Massengale, known to those who loved him as Bill or Willie, died December 31st 2022 at the age of 73 from heart disease. Born in Texas, Bill moved to Chapel Hill at the age of two where he was raised, and later returned to raise his own family. 		    

Preceded in death by his father Robert Massengale, mother Rosalie Massengale and older brother Bob Massengale; Bill is survived by his wife of 45 years Sally McLaughlin Massengale, his sons Bob, Johnny and Billy, his daughters-in-law Lily Barberich, Ashley Massengale, Ginny Kirk Andrews, granddaughter Campbell and older brother Tom Massengale.  Bill was an engaged Chapel Hillian, growing up at 7 Cobb Terrace, following the early death of his father in Texas. Bill attended Christ School in Arden, NC where he excelled, and earned a scholarship to Williams College in Massachusetts. After delivering a graduation speech in his inimitable style, Bill sought out adventure, traveling across the country and the globe.
For five years Bill taught history at Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, where he met the love of his life, Sally McLaughlin Massengale. He loved that she worked for 25 years at Glenwood Elementary, the school their beloved sons attended. After graduating from UNC Law School, he was hired as an Assistant District Attorney by his dear friend Wade Barber, Jr. Bill later worked in private practice with Barry Winston and Marilyn Ozer. Marilyn and Bill remained law partners until his retirement in 2022, focusing on criminal defense in support of folks from all walks of life. His work ranged from death penalty appellate work across the state, to local cases in Chapel Hill and Orange County. He had an abiding love of friends, family, the wider community, and his dog Ladybug. He met people where and as they were, and frequently left them feeling better for their meeting.

Durham Herald-Sun, January 5, 2023

 
Bo Brush has shared a photo of “Happier times when we were young welcoming the next generation into our lives!”

 

Tim Murnane remembers “Bill was great. So full of life. If I have it right, there was a party weekend coming up at Brooks house, maybe in ’70 or so and we had no entertainment. Bill said he could take care of that. And he got Livingston Taylor, James brother to come to Williamstown and sing and play in the Brooks house basement. Livingston was a star, James older brother. Bill knew the whole family. I hope I have this story straight. It’s been a long time. Bill was a wonderful guy, very funny and smart. So sorry he is gone.”

John Ackroff remembers a conversation with Bill in 2018:  The topic of our 50th Reunion came up, and Bill asked “When will that be?”  John said it would probably be June 10 – 13.  “No,” Bill said, “What year will it be?”  At that point, John thought “this is classic Bill Massengale.”  But maybe he knew something the rest of us didn’t…

Tony Goodwin shares two memories:   ” One was snowshoeing up the very steep power line on Mt. Greylock one January day. I believe I remember Bernie Brush and Steve McCausland were also with us, but I’m not positive on those two, and there might have been others.  The other was recruiting Bill to be my ‘ground man’ on the night before our graduation. He assisted while I climbed the flag pole in front of Baxter Hall and lifted a tire over the top so that it was sitting around the base of the flag pole for all the attendees to see. ”

Bill Ervin says Bill was “one of the very best I ever spent time with at Williams.”