William "Bill" O'Neal Prescott

William O’Neal “Bill” Prescott, 96, died peacefully Monday, December 16, 2024 at Aston Park Health Care Center in Asheville, NC.  An only child, he was born in New York City in 1928 to Gladys Veal and Cecil Jerome Prescott.  Bill spent most of his childhood years in Conyers, Georgia, raised by his grandmother and two aunts due to the death of both parents by the time he was 9 years old.

Bill graduated from Conyers High School, North Georgia Military College and later from Georgia State University.  His first career was with Burroughs Corporation which took Bill and his family to several different cities before arriving in Asheville in 1969.  In 1974 he became the controller for Asheville Federal Saving & Loan, eventually retiring as President of Asheville Savings Bank.  Wherever Bill lived, he was involved in community activities such as helping to start a new church in Florence, AL, serving as a Boy Scout leader in Conyers, GA, or participating in ACT and Rotary in Asheville.  When his wife Mary died in 1999, he became reacquainted with and married a high school classmate, Helen, in 2002 and moved to Conyers, Georgia. After Helen’s death in 2018, he returned to the Brevard and Asheville areas to be closer to his family.

Bill is survived by his two daughters, Pat (Tom) McClellan of Asheville and Meg (Jorg) Ronke of Pittsboro, NC. In addition, he is survived by seven grandchildren: Thomas (Jenny) McClellan of Media, PA, Scott (Anna Austin) McClellan of Cornelius, NC, Mary Beth (Dustin) Dallman of Arden, NC, Alex (Meredith Stewart) Ronke of Cary, NC, Kathryn (Jonathan Pearlstein) McClellan of Asheville, Owen (Fabienne) McClellan of Chapel Hill, NC and Eliese (Kenny Dickmeyer) Ronke of Chicago, IL, fourteen great-grandchildren and several nieces, nephews and step-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife of 50 years, Mary Mann Prescott, his second wife of 16 years, Helen Waldrop Kidd Prescott, and his son, William O’Neal Prescott, Jr.

Bill was deeply loved by his large family and was a devoted father, “Papa”, “Big Papa”, and Uncle Bill. He attended their games, shows, competitions, graduations, and weddings.  He was delighted by his 14 great-grandchildren; always inquiring about each of them by name. He especially loved going with family to Holden Beach each summer.  At age 85, barely able to walk, he thrilled (shocked) his family by plunging into the ocean waves for one last body surf. 

Asheville Area Alternative Funeral & Cremation is in charge of the arrangements. A private celebration of Bill’s life will be held at a later date. The family wants to thank the dedicated staff of Aston Park Health Care Center for the love and care they provided to Bill during his two years of residency and would ask that any friends or family who want to recognize Bill, please consider making a gift in his memory to Aston Park’s Employee Gratitude Fund.

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