William "Bill" Conard, Sr.

William Kirk Conard, Sr. age 75, passed away on Thursday, August 5, 2021, at his residence.

A native of  Haywood County, he was a son of the late Alice Leona Moore Conard Christopher.  In addition to his mother, he was preceded in death by the mothers of his children, Wanda Mills and Bertha Holt Conard; daughter, Monica Griffin; sister, Becky Christopher; two brothers, Robert and Jimmy Christopher.  Bill proudly served his country in the United States Army during the Vietnam era.  On November 1, 1966, Bill was wounded and lost his eyesight, he received two purple hearts and two bronze stars.  He was Past President of the D.A,V. Haywood Chapter 81, Past District Commander DAV Chapter 33, of Western Carolina and was a Life Member of DAV, BVA and VFW.  In 1985 Bill received an award for the outstanding DAV of the State of North Carolina.  He was Past President of Hazelwood Lions Club, a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church and Director of the Brotherhood.  Bill was a founding member of Carolina Gospel Heirs, owner and operator of Little Bill’s Trading Post, Hazelwood.

Bill is survived by a daughter, Angela Young; two sons, Steven Conard and Kirk Conard (Shannon); two sisters, Judy Mills (Charles) and Mary Sue Messer; two brothers, Sammy Christopher and Richard Conard (Peggy); nine grandchildren, Brittany Cox (Allen), Jonathan Conard, Dylan Griffin, Jessica Marshall (Christopher), Caleb Conard, Kyndal Conard, Gabriel Conard, Mary Katlyn Dickerson, Keiffer Owen; great-grandson, Noah Cox; several nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 8, 2021, in the Waynesville chapel of Wells Funeral Home with Reverend Harry Worley and Reverend Garry Rogers officiating.  Burial will follow at Green Hill Cemetery with full military honors.  The family will receive friends from 12:30 p.m. until service time at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Four Seasons Hospice, 571 South Allen Road, Flat Rock, NC 28731, or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

The care of Mr. Conard has been entrusted to Wells Funeral Home of Waynesville.