Obituary of William Thorne Brothwick, Jr.

William Thorne Borthwick, Jr., 90, of Mount Pleasant (formerly of Gaffney, SC), died peacefully Saturday, March 2.

Bill was born in Fairfield, VA., to William Thorne Borthwick and Blanche (Polly) McCluer Borthwick. He grew up in Lexington, VA. After graduating from Lexington High School, he attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute, graduating in the class of 1950 with a degree in business administration. His two years of service in the United States Air Force were spent in Fairbanks, Alaska, during the Korean Conflict.

Bill returned to Virginia and worked for Dan River Mills. He married Anne E. Crowgey in Roanoke, VA, in 1955. He and Anne spent most of their 63 years of marriage in Gaffney, SC, rearing four daughters (and always a pet cat or two), with Bill working as an industrial engineer with Milliken in Spartanburg. A lifelong inventor and amateur photographer, Bill enjoyed keeping his 1965 Mustang in top form, tinkering in his “little house” with carpentry, mechanics, and creative solutions to everyday problems, and spending as much time as possible with his family at their cottage on Lake Lure in North Carolina.

Bill is survived by his wife, Anne C. Borthwick, and their four daughters: Anne-Marie (Tom) Darr, of Alpharetta, GA, and Betty Thorne (Henry) Bouton, Mary Mac (Andy) Jennings, and Helen (Glenn) Hicks, all of James Island, SC; six grandchildren: Elizabeth (Greg) Abt, Mary Rose Darr, William “Wick” (Laura) Bouton, Anderson Bouton, Kate (Graham) Smith, and Sarah Grace Jennings; and three great-grandsons.

A graveside service will be held 2 P.M. Sunday, May 26, 2019 at St. John’s Lutheran Church Cemetery, conducted by the Reverend Lon Tobin. Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.grubbfuneralhome.com

Grubb Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.