William Joel Ham III

William Joel Ham III was born on November 16, 1960, and went to be with the Lord on May 29, 2025. The family will greet friends 6:00PM – 8:00PM on Sunday, June 1, 2025, at Monroe County Memorial Chapel, 86 West Main Street, Forsyth, Georgia. Funeral services will be held 2:00 PM Monday, June 2, 2025, at Ingleside Baptist Church, 834 Wimbish Road, Macon, Georgia. Burial will be private at Monroe Hills Memorial Garden.

He was born to William J. “Bill” Ham, Jr. and Freida Speir Ham in Savannah, GA. When William was three years old, his father moved the family to Barnesville to open the family’s first NAPA Auto Parts store. William grew up in Barnesville, enjoying childhood as the middle child with two sisters, Emily and Melissa. He was an active and studious boy, being referred to in childhood as “Happy Terry” for his upbeat and can-do attitude from a young age. He enjoyed fixing cars (even later in life he grieved selling his 1967 Camaro), playing sports, and helping his dad around the auto parts store. Finishing as the Salutatorian of Lamar County High School, William headed off to Georgia Tech where he met some of his lifelong friends, joined Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, and graduated with a degree in Industrial Engineering.

Entering adulthood, William, who began introducing himself as “Bill” outside of family and NAPA circles, took a job as a civilian engineer at Warner Robins Air Force Base. It was during this time that he met his wife, Betty, at a 100-mile bicycling race outside of Macon, and the two bonded over their shared love of endurance sports. They were married on June 10, 1989. 1989 turned into an even more eventful year for Bill as he also changed careers to partner with his father in running the NAPA stores. Bill and Betty moved together to Forsyth, where they also welcomed their three children, Madison (1991), Joel (1993), and Barret (1996). Bill and Betty built a house together in Bolingbroke in 1999 where they raised their children and lived up until Bill’s final weeks. Bill fostered an incredibly healthy and supportive home for Betty and the kids- taking them on camping and beach trips, coaching Little League teams, attending dance recitals, agreeing for the kids to get a dog, and everything else that a complete father and husband needs to do to take care of his household. Nothing around the house that needed care was ever overlooked by Bill. He, along with his family, spent years as faithful members of Ingleside Baptist Church in Macon. He and Betty were part of the charter committee that would bring the Young Life ministry to Macon. Bill developed a reputation for being patient and understanding with his employees and customers. Under his care, the business grew to seven stores at its height, before Bill's retirement in 2022.

His whole family will dearly miss his calming presence, his patient and kind demeanor, and his ability to never be lost while driving. It is with great sadness, yet great hope in Jesus, that we lay our husband, brother, dad, granddad, uncle and friend to rest.

Bill is survived by his wife Elizabeth “Betty” Bealle Ham, his three children, Madison (Andrew) Brooks of Charleston, SC, Joel (fiancee Catherine Williams) of Atlanta, and Barret of New York, NY, his granddaughter Daisy Brooks, and his sister Melissa (Ben) Sellars of Watkinsville. He is predeceased by his parents Bill and Freida and his sister Emily (Alan) Conger.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Davis Phinney Foundation (Parkinson’s Disease) Live Well with Parkinson's TODAY - Davis Phinney Foundation or Young Life Macon Home - Young Life Macon GA

Please visit www.monroecountymemorialchapel.com to express your condolences.