William ("Bill") Shepard Blackwood

William (“Bill”) Shepard Blackwood, 83 of Calvander, died Thursday, December 4, 2025, at UNC- Hospitals.

Bill was born in Calvander, North Carolina, on November 10, 1942, the son of the late William Everett Blackwood and Ruby Shepard Blackwood. He graduated from Chapel Hill High School and attended UNC-Chapel Hill, where he met his future wife, Sandra. He worked with his father at Blackwood Grading and Excavating for 30 years. Bill enjoyed farming, fishing, writing, drawing, and helping neighbors. He was a published author, poet, artist, and found humor in everything. He was extremely skilled at operating both his backhoe and track loader, and playfully listed his occupation as “gravedigger”

Bill is survived by his wife of 58 years, Sandra Lowe Blackwood; two children, William Kelly Blackwood (Mayling) and Christine Sandra Brown (Leith); and three grandchildren, Liam Brown, Ruby Blackwood, and Zoe Brown.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, December 11, 2025, at 2:00p.m. at North Chapel Hill Baptist Church. Burial will follow at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 1:00p.m. to 2:00p.m. prior to the service at the church.