William Council Peacock, Jr., 1910-1991

William Council Peacock, Jr. was born in Tiptonville, Tenn., May 30, 1910. He graduated from the School of Pharmacy at the University of Tennessee Medical School, Memphis, and married Laura Alleene Cunningham. They moved to Norfolk where he established a pharmacy in the Ward's Corner area which proved to be very successful, the store becoming a meeting place for the community. "Doc" Peacock became a leader of the Ward's Corner Business Men's Association. His daughter, Barbara, also became a pharmaceutist and married her father's associate, Harry G. Plunkett, Jr. Being severely injured in a robbery, Doc hired a group of Marines in the store, preventing further trouble. One of them, Sam Golden, married the second daughter. The drugstore and its luncheon facility welcomed those of all races and creeds long before the civil rights movement. Doc's concern for all persons, especially the poor, marked him as a man of unusual qualities.

After a deep personal crisis Doc was confronted with a profound spiritual question: Should he acknowledge and accept the call for a complete career change. This resulted in his entrance upon the course of study at Wesley and Duke theological schools in preparation for full ministry in the Methodist Church. His son-in-law faced a similar crisis and enrolled in medical school to become a physician.

In 1963, Peacock became a local pastor and was appointed to the Fifth Avenue and Wesley churches in Portsmouth. In 1965 he was ordained a local deacon by Bishop Walter C. Gum. In 1967 he was ordained a local elder; in 1969 voted into probationary membership in the Virginia conference; and in 1971 he was admitted into full connection.

He was assigned to the Waverly Charge in 1967 where he remained until 1976. He then moved to St. Matthews Church in Suffolk from which he retired in 1978 to Selby Place, Norfolk.

Bill Peacock was a good minister of Jesus Christ. His effectiveness was seen in the fine service he gave the church and community of Waverly. Mrs. A. Paul Hartz said he had touched every level of that community as no other had. His sermons were creative and original. His profound sense of humor moved him from "funny man" to one with deep philosophical insights. His one-on-one ministry was marked by a divinely-given gift of understanding and compassion. He was the epitomy of integrity, having deep convictions for which he made no apology as he confronted the godless and the secular.

Two principles he accented were that we are not called to like everyone, but we do have to love them; and, if you would pull someone out of the gutter, you must be willing to get down in the gutter with him.

As his district superintendent for six years and his across-the-street neighbor for over 10 years, I came to know him as one who often would get out of bed in the night to get some mother's son out of a filthy jail; or confronting the hour of a father's greatest tragedy in the untimely death of his daughter be enabled to dedicate even his own devastation to Almighty God; or, in seeing the mantle of his ministry to Christ passed on to the husband of his youngest daughter rejoice and feel his own ministry had been fulfilled. It is little wonder that Rotary International designated him as a "Paul Harris Fellow." Now in this time surely the lord must be saying, "Well done, Thou good and faithful servant."

A service of death and resurrection was conducted at Miles Memorial Church, Norfolk, on February 15, 1991 by his pastor, the Rev. O. Murry Unruh, Lee B. Sheaffer, Phineas S. Boyer, and Carl W. Haley. He is survived by his wife of 60 years; his two daughters, Mrs. Harry G. Plunkett and Mrs. John F. Shappell of Virginia Beach; nine grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

-Carl Wrenn Haley