WILLIAM TAYLOR STRAUGHAN was born March 8, 1931, in West Virginia, an only child,to Wm. Ernest Straughan and Frances Edythe Hays Straughan.

His father worked in the coal mining industry and his mother was a homemaker.

He spent his early years in Glen White, West Virginia, where his grandfather Straughan taught Sunday School.

In later years, the coal industry had the family moving to Bleckley, West Virginia.

At age 7, W.T. Straughan was enrolled at Fork Union Military Academy, from which he graduated May 30th of 1949.

He enrolled in the Citadel in 1949 and later transferred to Ohio University. He graduated from Ohio University January 31, 1953, with a Batchelor of Science Degree in Commerce.

W.T. entered the U. S. Army in April of 1953 and spent 18 months overseas during the Korean Police Action. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal and the UN Service Medal, having achieved the rank of Platoon Leader. He was given an Honorable Discharge March 24, 1955.

During his term of service, he met and married the sister of one of his platoon members. He and Anne Barkley Gault of Fountain Inn, SC were married in Fountain Inn, SC on November 23, 1953.

W. T. and Ann moved to Melbourne, Florida, where he worked at Cape Canaveral and Ann taught school. It was there that the couple gave birth to three children. Mark William, Frederick Matthew and Mary Ann. W. T. then "got lucky" at work during the Cuban Missile Crisis and was stationed to a 2 year stint at Ft. Churchill in Canada, the polar bear capital of the world. He and the family moved there for him to help build a missile range. The family left with many tales of glaciers, giant mosquitos, and near misses with polar bears.

After that, they moved to Marietta, Georgia, where Ann continued to teach and W. T. worked at Lockheed. While at Lockheed, he began to attend Emory University Law School. Upon graduating from Law School and passing the Bar Exam, he moved, in 1968, to McRae, Georgia, where he entered the practiced of law with Herman Warnock; thereafter he worked with Nicky Rawlins before entering practice on his own in 1973.

Mark graduated from Mercer University and Mercer Law and entered the practice with his father in 1982 and married Laurel Briggs in 1983.

Matt graduated from Mercer University and entered the US Navy, where he achieved the rank of Captain and retired after 30 years of service to our nation. In 1982, Matt married Lynn Waugh of Macon, Georgia.

Mary Ann graduated from Mercer University and obtained her CPA license. She married Kim Kimmons of Alamo and followed in her mother's footsteps teaching school.

Mark and Laurel Straughan provided W.T. and Ann with two grandchildren, Margaret, who is now in practice with both her parents at the law firm of Straughan and Saraughan, and Jonathan, who is a civilian contractor working with the FBI in Washington DC.

Mary Ann and Kim provided two additional grandchildren, Collin and Taylor, both of whom have followed the family tradition of becoming educators.

Matt and Lynn graced them with Caroline, who is currently enrolled in the doctoral program at Fordham University.

W.T. was preceded in death by his wife, Ann Straughan.

A funeral service will be held Friday, May 31, 2019 at 2:00PM in the McRae Presbyterian Church with interment in Oak Grove Cemetery. Lay Minister Norwood Davidson will officiate.

The family will greet friends from 10:00AM – 11:30AM at Lowes Funeral Home, Friday, May 31, 2019.

Lowes Funeral Home of Helena has charge of arrangements.