Published: January 17, 2006 11:20 pm      

Friends, business associates remember Beckley businessman

A highly respected Beckley businessman will be remembered for his faith, generosity, good sense of humor, strong work ethic and devotion to his family and his community.

William R. Sigmund died Monday in a Beckley hospital following a short illness. He was 75.

Longtime friend and business partner Bob McLean was at a loss for words Tuesday. Associate broker Carol Pugh spoke on behalf of the entire staff at Prudential Sigmund-McLean.

“This has been a tremendous loss for all of us,” Pugh said. “Bill was a dear friend and helped me a lot in my years in real estate. I admired him and respected him, not only for his leadership but for his honesty and integrity.”

The friendship of Sigmund and McLean was legendary.

“These men have been best friends and business partners for many, many years,” Pugh said. “Their offices are side by side, and their doors were always open. Even when they disagreed on something, they always had great respect for one another’s opinions. We all had great respect for Bill. That was felt by the entire real estate community. We can’t express how much we will all miss him.”

Sigmund and McLean became partners in an insurance business after both returned from military stints in Korea.

In 1961, they ventured into real estate and formed one of the most successful firms in the Beckley area. Among their accomplishments were the development of subdivisions in Woodcrest, McLean Addition, Old Mill Village, Landmark and Stanaford Acres.

Harriet and Wilmot Jones had a long-standing friendship with Sigmund.

“We have known Bill since we first came to Beckley. He was such a fine person. He was a wonderful father and family person,” Harriet Jones said.

Retired Beckley attorney Warren Thornhill III recalled Sigmund’s days as a star quarterback at Woodrow Wilson High School.

“He was one of the best we ever had,” Thornhill said. “I’ve known him since childhood. He was one of those people who always seemed to be in a good disposition — funny — great to be around. I have just known him so long I don’t know what I will miss most about him.”

Beckley Mayor Emmett Pugh spoke of the loss of a good friend and a valued community leader.

“Bill Sigmund has been a family friend for many years, and he was a pillar of the community,” Pugh said. “He did a lot of development with real estate, but he was also very civic-minded and gave a lot of his time to various community efforts. He is going to be sorely missed.”

Commenting on the old adage that advises friends never to go in business together, Pugh said Sigmund and McLean proved the old proverb to be an error.

“Those two were good friends, and the long, successful business partnership they’ve had over the years testifies to what you can do in business together when you work as a close team the way they did,” Pugh said.

Sigmund was remembered by a fellow St. Stephens Episcopal Church choir member, Raleigh County Circuit Judge Robert Burnside, for his dedication, good sense of humor and dependability.

“For the past several years, Bill and I were back-row buddies in the tenor section of the choir. Sometimes we would be working through a difficult piece of music, and he would come up with some joke or something funny to say, but he was always very serious about what he did,” Burnside said.

Whether it was serving as a valued confidante or working on a church project, Sigmund was known for his commitment to the endeavor.

“When Bill made a promise, you could count on him to be there. He was a terrific man,” Burnside said. “He was very dedicated to his family, to his church and to his community. He was somebody you could look up to.”

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Saturday, with a memorial service to follow at 11 a.m. St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Beckley. Melton Mortuary is in charge of the arrangements.

— E-mail: bdavis@register-herald.com