William Cribb

William Terry Brown Cribb, 69, affectionately known to friends and loved ones as Billy, died suddenly at his home on Sunday, July 12, 2020. The son of the late Troy Kenneth Cribb, Sr. and Dicksie Johnston Brown Cribb, he was a lifelong Spartanburg resident and mover in the community. He leaves behind hundreds of friends who will miss his encompassing and unending hospitality. A lover of the arts, Billy was a regular attendee of concerts and theater. He especially loved performances at Converse College's Petrie School of Music and the Brevard Music Center. Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D was the piece he most adored. As a youngster, Billy spent summers enjoying his family's home at Lake Summit, NC, visiting relatives in St. George, SC, and working at Troy H. Cribb and Son's peach packing facility. He was an avid basketball player and four-year letterman on the Spartanburg High School tennis team. Billy's love of tennis was a gift he passed along to his oldest son and daughter. Billy attended Spartanburg Methodist and Presbyterian Colleges before joining the National Guard in 1971. He spent his youth attending Trinity Methodist Church, and then, as an adult, became a confirmed member of The Episcopal Church of the Advent, where he would later join the vestry. There, he spent countless hours helping to design and implement a mentoring program at Mary H. Wright Elementary School. Billy also served as president of the Downtown Spartanburg Sertoma Club. He was known to have a green thumb and an interest in antiques. His only known dislikes were chocolate and cats. Billy loved to socialize and was known for his generous hospitality and good cooking, traits he passed along to his children. Once, Billy had the honor of preparing a post-performance meal at his home for the great cellist Yo-Yo Ma. In 1988, he had the pleasure of meeting Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office. Billy spent nearly 30 years in the transportation industry and then was instrumental in Cribb's Catering during its formative years. Restless in retirement, he started Out & About, a transportation service, with longtime friend and business partner Craig Williams. Helping transport our country's disabled veterans meant a great deal to him, and he considered the work a ministry. Ever the survivor, Billy overcame both a brain tumor and a stroke. As "Pop Pop," he was known to unapologetically spoil his grandchildren. He could often be seen taking long walks through Converse Heights, stopping to talk and waiving to passersby, or frequenting his sons' restaurants. He was proud of his four children and took special pleasure that they shared his passion for the culinary arts. Simply put, Billy loved life.

William Terry Brown Cribb is predeceased by a sister, Dicksie Johnston Cribb. He is survived by his children, Troy Kenneth Cribb, II, William Huston Cribb (Bekah), Lee Aubrey Cribb (Tyler), and James Cofield Cribb; and his grandchildren, William Hayden Cribb, Zoey Bella Cribb, Riley Elizabeth Nolan, and Caleb James Nolan. He is also survived by a brother, Troy Kenneth Cribb, Jr.; a sister, Evelyn Cribb Ritchie (James); and his children's mother, Lynn McCredie Cribb.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held Sunday, February 19, 2023, 3:00pm, at The Episcopal Church of the Advent, 141 Advent Street, Spartanburg, SC, 29302.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Downtown Spartanburg Sertoma Club, 1855 East Main Street Suite 14 PMV146, Spartanburg, SC 29306; or The Episcopal Church of the Advent Foundation, 141 Advent Street, Spartanburg, SC, 29302 www.churchofadvent.org.

Floyd's North Church Street Chapel