William Clay "BIll" Foreman
William Clay “Bill” Foreman of Roanoke passed away peacefully, Tuesday, August 16th, 2022. Bill was born in Richmond, VA to James B. Foreman Sr and Martha M Henderson on September 17, 1949.
A man of faith, Bill has been a loyal member of Southview Methodist Church for more than 60 years.
Bill joined the Navy in 1966 and served on the USS Yorktown when it was the primary recovery ship for the Apollo 8 Mission in 1968. He was later transferred to the USS Oriskany in 1969 which was operating off the coast of Vietnam. Subsequently, he was seriously injured when sucked down the intake of an F-8 Crusader. After his recovery and honorable discharge from the Navy, Bill attended Virginia Tech (GO HOKIES), graduating with a business degree in 1975. After graduation, he went to work for First National Exchange Bank, later becoming Dominion Bank. While there he became the Commercial Banking Manager for the Roanoke Valley region in 1989 and was the Senior Commercial Banking Relationship Manager for First Union National Bank of Virginia, which acquired Dominion Bank in 1993. Bill later joined Raleigh, NC based First Citizens Bank as Vice President of Commercial Banking for Roanoke, Blacksburg, Martinsville, and Alleghany County.
During Bill’s career, he learned how important it was to help others. He has been known to take a truckload of turkeys to the Rescue Mission for Thanksgiving dinner and solicited donations for a childcare center when he read in the paper it would have to close due to insufficient funding. He was always looking for the next good cause. His patriotism was second to none. After 9-11, he took his nephew to New York to visit first responders, passing out buttons, pens, and other goodies he had acquired. In 2014, he walked the 26.2-mile Boston Marathon on an artificial knee and a month before hip replacement surgery in honor of the Boston bombing victims of 2013. In 2020 at the age of 70 Bill took down a Robert E. Lee Monument because he did not want to see a day of unrest come to the city he loves. Although Bill did not always make the best decisions, his heart was in the right place, and he truly loved Roanoke.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Charles and brother-in-law Cleston. Bill is survived by his brothers James, Steve (Carol), David (Wilma), Greg (Loria), and his sisters Jane (Randy) and Jenny. He is also survived by his fiancée Hope Kerr, Uncle Minor of Blacksburg VA, Aunt Dollie of Rustburg VA, best friends Ken, Don, and Sally, as well as numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins.
There will be a celebration of life at Southview Methodist Church, 3539 Peters Creek Rd. NW, Roanoke VA, Saturday, August 20th, 2022 at 11 AM. A reception will follow in the fellowship hall of the church.
Bill’s ashes will be interred in a private ceremony at a later date at The Turman Family Cemetery in Dugspur, VA.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Disabled American Veterans (DAV) or the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
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