William Carlos Parler Sr., retired attorney, veteran

William Carlos Parler Sr., 92, of Frankford passed away at home surrounded by family Friday, May 6, 2022. He was born Aug. 12, 1929, in Creston, Calhoun County, S.C., son of the late Marion C. and Anna J. (Keller) Parler.

Bill was proud of his family, and they were the focus of his life and career. He graduated from Cameron, S.C. High School. Bill attended the University of South Carolina on an NROTC scholarship. After a year there, he received a competitive congressional appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy from which he received a bachelor's degree in the class of 1951, and a commission as a line officer in the U.S. Navy. Bill trained on USS Missouri. He subsequently served on destroyers and amphibious ships throughout the world, including operations in the Mediterranean, Korea, Vietnam and the Formosa Straits.

It was during his naval service that he met and married Beatrice Anne Hemenway Aug. 13, 1955. Bill resigned his regular navy commission to attend the University of South Carolina School of Law from which he earned a bachelor of law degree with high honors, and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa honorary society. He was admitted to the South Carolina Bar. Bill then attended Harvard Law School on scholarship and earned a master of laws degree.

Thereafter, Bill began an uninterrupted career of public service as an attorney with the federal government in the newly emerging field for the development and use of atomic energy for civilians and national defense purposes. With the legal office of the Atomic Energy Commission, he specialized in government contract matters, administrative law, the legislative process and energy, and environmental law. During his career as an attorney, Bill served, among others, as the committee counsel to the U.S. Congressional Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, as an administrative appeal judge and as the general counsel to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, appointed by George H. W. Bush. He received that agency's distinguished service medal and the Presidential Distinguished Executive and Meritorious Service Awards.

Bill remained an active member of the South Carolina Bar until his retirement Jan. 1, 2006. After resigning his regular navy commission and during his civilian public service, Bill was also an active participant in the U.S. Naval Reserve for many years. He retired as a captain in 1971 but thereafter remained in the standby reserve for the maximum period.

Upon retirement from his civilian position, he and Anne moved from their home in Rockville, Md. to a farm near Ocean View, where they enjoyed life and their family. Bill and Anne attended St. Martha’s Episcopal Church in Bethany Beach. He was baptized and confirmed as a youth in the Shady Grove Methodist Church in the Creston, S.C. community.

During his retirement years, Bill was fortunate to become informed about and to document some of his earliest direct line of ancestors who sought a better life in Colonial America. William Parler, the earliest identified, fought with Gen. Francis Marion and Gen.Thomas Sumter for independence in the American Revolution. So did William's son, John and William's two surviving brothers; one of those brothers died in the enemy's prisoner war camp. William's other son fought with the Georgia militia in the War of 1812. Descendants of William Parler's family served in all wars from the American Revolution to the current conflicts.

Finally, during those years, Bill reflected more with great admiration and respect on those in his family and neighbors who served and sacrificed for America.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister, Harriet Spigner and husband Laney Spigner; and his grandson, Bradley J. Parler. Bill is survived by his wife of 66 years, Beatrice Anne Hemenway Parler; his sons: William C. Parler Jr. of Timonium, Md., and Blair H. Parler (Rebecca) of Mount Airy, Md.; his daughters: Bethanie R. Detar of Fort Mill, S.C., and Beatrice C. Nutt (Jeffrey) of Hingham, Mass.; his grandchildren: Jacqueline H. Parler, William C. Parler III, Madaline A. Parler, Kathryn F. Parler, Nicole M. Hawkins ( Christopher), Kasey B. Forsell (Lt. Kory M. Forsell), Taylor B. Parler, Katherine A. Detar, Kyle W. Detar, Christopher V. Detar, William EH Nutt and Robert JD Nutt; and his great-grandchildren: Jacelyn G. Smith-Hawkins and Eowyn R. Forsell.

Final care for Bill has been entrusted to Parsell Funeral Homes and Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, Lewes.

Visit Bill’s Life Memorial Webpage and sign his virtual guestbook at parsellfuneralhomes.com.