William C Canipe

He has been reunited in Heaven with his parents, Doc Canipe and Mary Sue Pruitt; his first wife, Sallie Canipe; and his siblings, Ernest, Joe, Fred, William, Ransome, Annie Pearl, Helen, and Mildred.

One of 13 children, William was born on August 1, 1935 in Hickory, where he spent his childhood and teenage years. He attended St. Stephens Lutheran Day School in Hickory. When William was 17, he met his first wife, Sallie Miller, and the two fell in love and were married a few years later. As newlyweds, William and Sallie relocated to the Charlotte area and went on to have two children together – a boy and a girl. In 2010, after 55 years of marriage, Sallie passed away.

Despite the immense grief over losing his beloved wife, William was lucky enough to find love again when he met Vicki Hamm in 2011. The two were married later that same year.

For most of his life, William worked in carpentry, and specifically with furniture. Most notably, he was employed long-term as a Fabricator with Grice Showcase and Display in Charlotte, and he officially retired in his late 60s. Hardworking and motivated, William loved what he did so much that he enjoyed woodworking in his free time as well.

William also enjoyed fishing and learning about history and how things are made. He had a passion for trains, especially older trains, and had a big soft spot for his cat, Bella.

For William, the best parts of his whole day were enjoying the meals he ate; he loved to eat. His favorite foods were beans and dessert, and he even developed his cooking skills enough to help Vicki run the kitchen at church for several years.

William was a people person, he loved talking to others and everyone loved him in return. He had a seemingly endless amount of patience, especially when he was teaching someone something. He was also deeply cherished for his unconditional love and his inherent affection for those he cared about. He made sure his friends and family knew he loved them so much.

Those left to honor William’s memory include his second wife, Vicki Canipe; his siblings, Hazel Canipe (Christine), Ralph Canipe, Charles Canipe (Barbara), and Bonnie Elum; as well as a handful of grandchildren and many other loving family members and friends.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from 1:00pm until 2:00pm on Friday, March 17, 2023 at Forest Lawn West Funeral Home, 4601 Freedom Drive in Charlotte.

The funeral service is to be conducted at 2:00pm, immediately following the visitation, in the Paul Helton Chapel at the funeral home, where Pastor Brian Keith is to officiate.

The burial will conclude the services at Forest Lawn West Cemetery.