John William "Bill" French

John William "Bill" French, 92, passed away in Martinez, Georgia on February 11, 2024 after a battle with Dementia. Bill was born in Radford, Virginia to Margaret Pauline Scott & Hugh Robert French. After receiving his high school diploma, he enlisted in the Navy in 1949. Due to Naval policy changes, he was honorably discharged the following year. Bill worked for several metal etching companies including Charlotte Engraving, French-Painter Co., which he started and owned, and Pictorial Engraving Company. While Bill eventually earned his living as a salesman, he was always an inventor at heart. In 1968 he developed a system for continuous bath agitation for copper etching, which was, at that time, used for printing plates . He furthered his education at Fayetteville Technical Community College in North Carolina while working for Arts and Engraving Co. He retired from Arts and Engraving Co. After meeting on a blind date in 1959, Bill eventually married Elfie in 1963 and together, they had 2 children, Sabine French and William “Bill” French. Bill and Elfie went their separate ways while the children were young, but they remained friends their entire lives. Years later, after meeting and marrying Doris Jackson, they moved to Meadows of Dan, Virginia on the Blue Ridge Parkway and built their dream house, a log cabin complete with a caboose that they both remodeled into a guest house. They were active in church, active in the community, and loved traveling, having made it to forty-nine States as well as many countries. Bill loved to help people. He dedicated much of his time to Meals on Wheels and other such organizations. While living in Meadows of Dan, Bill began wood crafting small items to sell in the town stores. Following Doris's sudden passing in 2010, Bill later married their mutual friend, Nadene Barnard in March of 2011. They enjoyed their life together traveling and spending winters in Sebring, Florida. After Nadene's passing in 2021, Bill's battle with dementia escalated, eventually requiring him to move into a memory care facility in Georgia near his son and daughter-in-law. Bill loved traveling, camping, gardening, planting, raising chickens, wood working, fishing with his son, politics and inventing things. He even designed and installed an elevator in their house at Meadows of Dan! He will be missed greatly by his family, friends and the caregivers at Thrive Assisted Living. He is survived by his son Bill French and wife, Julie of GA; daughter, Sabine French of NC, his grandchildren, Nicole, Mitchell and Brandon, former wife Harriet Emrich, as well as numerous beloved step-sons, step-daughters and their extended families. A Celebration of Bill's life is being held at Meadows of Dan Baptist Church, 2511 Jeb Stuart Highway, on Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 11am.