William Hulsey Sewell Jr.

Old Soldiers Never Die. William Hulsey Sewell, Jr., Captain, U.S. Army (Retired) born July 12, 1936, died at home surrounded by his loving family on February 20, 2022. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia to the late William Hulsey Sewell of Hogansville, GA and Florrie Mosely Fuller of Jakin and Cedar Springs, GA. He is survived by his constant companion and loving wife of 33 years Elizabeth Lee Cheney Sewell of Montgomery, AL., and was the loving father of William Hulsey Sewell, III of New Orleans, LA; Wynne Arthur Sewell (Patty) of Atlanta, GA; Jane Freret Wynne Sewell Sowell (Edward Otis) of Greensboro, GA; Michael Fuller Sewell of New Orleans, LA; Sean Patrick Sewell of New Orleans; and Sally Ann Sewell Anthony of Atlanta, GA. He was known as "Pere Pere" and “Gran Pere” to his grandchildren Sean Paul Sewell (Angie) of Rockport, GA; Ashley Natalia Zito (Joe) of Fort Drum, FL; Margaret Mary, Michael Alexander, Camille, and Mignon Sewell of New Orleans, LA. He was the great-grandfather of Nora, Charlotte, and Oliver Sewell of Rockport, GA. He is also survived by his former wife, Jane Freret Wynne Sewell Beardsley.

A Cadet and graduate of New Orleans Academy in 1954, he excelled in athletics and academics. He spent his first year of college at Vanderbilt University where he won a Naval ROTC scholarship and was a walk-on for the great Vanderbilt basketball team. He then transferred to Tulane University. Here he was a member of Tulane University Army ROTC and a Kappa Alpha and majored in Civil Engineering, where he was elected as Chief Engineer of his senior class. After graduating, he served on active duty in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam Era at Ft. Eustis, VA and seven years in the U.S. Army reserve and achieved the rank of Captain. After a diagnosis of Juvenile Diabetes, he was honorably discharged.

Bill(y) worked for various engineering concerns including J. A. Jones, Ingram Corporation, and J. Ray McDermott. He moved with his family in 1970 to London, England as Managing Director of an Ingram - Micoperi Joint Venture. When Ingram merged with McDermott International in 1972, he moved back to New Orleans where he was the Vice President of C. F. Bean Dredging Company. He was hired away by Gulf Mississippi Marine to be Sr. Vice President of Gulf Fleet, a division of Houston Natural Gas to succeed to the office of president. After his company was bought out, he started his own boat business, Capital Marine but closed it after five years due to the recession in the oil and marine industry in 1984. He bought and sold several businesses, and then returned to civil engineering and worked for the Board of Commissioners, Port of New Orleans and the City of New Orleans, as Deputy Director and later Interim Director. He was appointed Chairman of an industry committee to rewrite the City’s General Engineering and Construction Specifications. His good and helpful work was acknowledged in open meetings by City Council members and citizen letters to the Mayor of New Orleans. He retired from the City of New Orleans after having a stroke in 2006 but later continued his engineering under his own shingle, Sewell Engineering, LLC.

Bill(y)’s doctor once proclaimed that he was a “poster child” for Juvenile Diabetes, having the disease for almost 60 years. Throughout his life, he remained an ardent supporter of Tulane University athletics and various engineering organizations. He was a life-long athlete and played golf into his 80s and sailed competitively for over 60 years. He was also a member of the Louisiana Sons of the Revolution serving as president and treasurer, The Order of the Founders and Patriots of America, Military Order of Foreign Wars, Sons of the American Revolution, Southern Yacht Club, New Orleans Country Club, Trinity Episcopal Church serving as Master of Ceremony of Ushers and member of the Men’s Bible Study where he always sat in “The Special Chair”, the Bienville Club and several carnival organizations.

The family wishes to thank Bill(y)’s faithful caregivers Ms. Laura Deshotel and Ms. Dana Burresch. The family is also indebted to the care and of support of the Veterans Administration doctors, clinicians, and hospital. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered as a loyal and loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend to many.

Friends and family are invited to attend a Celebration of Life at Trinity Episcopal Church on Wednesday, February 23, 2022. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., with the service to begin at 11:00 a.m. Burial will be at the family’s plot at the Mosely - Cedar Springs Cemetery in Cedar Springs, GA in the future.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Tulane Athletics or Trinity Episcopal Church. Onward Christian Soldiers!