William Luther Yost

William Luther Yost was born to Harold and Elva Yost on May 13, 1939, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. A sports-loving, trumpet-playing teen, he entered Bob Jones University in 1957. Bill accepted Jesus as Savior during a society prayer meeting his freshman year.

Ever the prankster, Bill made a name for himself in a variety of campus antics, including hiding in the large metal trashcans and calling out to passersby or commenting on the trash they deposited. His senior year, he met Gail and was quickly smitten. They married in 1962 and moved to Pontiac, Michigan, where Bill taught business and English and coached boys’ basketball and football teams at Emmanuel Christian School. Their first daughter, Kimberly, was born in 1964, followed by Karen in 1965.

Bill and Gail left the Christian school to teach in the Michigan public school system for seven years. Then, in 1974, at the invitation of Dr. Walter Fremont, longtime BJU Dean of the School of Education, Bill and Gail returned to Greenville, SC, to teach at their alma mater. At BJU, Bill taught education classes, drawing on his experiences in both the Christian and public school systems. He served as Chairman of the Division of Secondary Education, as Chairman of the Education Programs Council, and as Director of Teaching for student teachers. He was an early advocate for BJU’s teacher education program’s state certification.

Bill earned a Master of Arts degree in English from Michigan State University and a doctorate in Adolescent Literature from the University of South Carolina.

Bill was an avid runner and completed 25 full marathons—including the Boston Marathon in 1981. When not chugging over Paris Mountain (and back!) on a Saturday, he enjoyed fishing, woodworking, and playing the trumpet, banjo, and dulcimer. During summer breaks, Bill taught alongside missionary friends in the Philippines, Hawaii, Grenada, and Togo, West Africa.

Bill and Gail have been active members of Mount Calvary since 1989. Bill served with the Seniors Fellowship, the Social Committee, and the Released Time program.

Bill leaves behind his wife of nearly 60 years, Gail; two children and their spouses—Kim and Jeff Stegall and Karen and Peter Hubbard; six grandchildren—Richard Kai Hubbard, Cameron Gail Hubbard, Margaret Ann Stegall, Connor William Hubbard, Hamilton Cole Stegall, and Keaton John Hubbard, all of Greenville, SC, as well as a sister, Sally Reidenouer, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

A visitation service will be held Friday, June 24, at Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Greenville, SC, from 10 am until 11:15 am. The memorial service will begin at 11:30 am. A private family interment will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery.

The family asks that any donations be given to the Jonna Carper Scholarship Fund benefiting teachers and future teachers at Bob Jones University or to Mount Calvary Baptist Church.

The service will be livestreamed at www.mountcalvarybaptist.org by clicking on the sermons option, and then the "online" livestreaming option on the right, available about 10 minutes before the service begins.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mackeycenturydrive.com for the Yost family.