William Churm

Canton - William "Bill" Churm, age 77, of 59 Wesley Street, Canton, died Monday, December 24, 2007 at Silver Bluff Nursing Home. Bill was the son of the late William S. and Mary L. Churm, formerly of Dover, N. J. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Henrietta Eagles and Mildred Apgar and four brothers, Albert, Arthur, William "Dutch", and Henry "Bud" Churm, all of New Jersey. A graduate of Dover, NJ, High School and Valley Forge Military Academy (PA), Bill attended Wake Forest College where he played running back on the football team. He was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. Upon graduation, Bill served in the Army as a Chemical Officer in the Yukon Command in Alaska. In addition to his military duties, he coached and played football and coached baseball. In 1956, he was named the Yukon Command Player of the Year and also named to the All-Army Football Team. After the Army, Bill came to Canton in 1957 and opened and operated Brooks & Churm Furniture Company with his father-in-law Maurice Brooks and partner Neal Duckworth until the store closed in 1986. Bill is best known throughout the area as Coach Churm. He coached football at Canton and Pisgah High Schools for over 45 years. At Pisgah, he was part of four state championship teams in '66, '71, '75 and '76. In 1998, Bill was enshrined in the inaugural class of Pisgah's Athletic Hall of Fame. The Mountain Amateur Athletic Club bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003 for his more than 43 years of coaching football. Coach Churm also coached senior little league baseball for over 15 years. Bill was an active member of Canton First Baptist Church serving as a Deacon and Sunday School Teacher. He was also extremely active in Canton Lion's Club where he served in numerous capacities including president. He was honored by the Lion's Club in their naming of the Bill Churm scholarship. Bill also served as president of the Jaycees, and was previously honored as Jaycees Man of the Year and also Canton Kiwanis Man of the Year. He was instrumental in the establishment and operation of the Mountain View and Lake View housing complexes and served on their board for many years. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Anita Brooks Churm of Canton; three sons, Stephen Churm and his wife, Alison, of North Augusta, SC, Michael Churm and his wife, Dee, of Canton, and Chris Benge and his wife, Renee, of Canton. He is also survived by six grandchildren, Ashley Ikerd and husband, Travis, of Cumming, GA, Anna Brooks and Will Churm of North Augusta, SC, Michael Churm of Canton and Thomas and Sullivan Benge of Canton. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, December 28, 2007 at Canton First Baptist Church with Reverend Jim Langford officiating. A eulogy will be delivered by Dr. Ernest H. Stines. Burial will follow at Bon-A-Venture Cemetery, Old Clyde Road. The family will receive friends from 6:00 until 9:00 p.m. Thursday evening at Wells Funeral Home of Canton. Pall bearers will include Jimmy, Jerry, and Jeffrey Powell, Nick Cline, Alan Burnette, Bruce and David Miller, Ronnie Sprinkle, Wells Greeley, Chuck and Bill Stines and Harold Walsh. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Canton First Baptist Church, 74 Academy Street, Canton, NC 28716 or Pisgah Senior High School Athletic Department, 1 Black Bear Drive, Canton, NC 28716.

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