William George Ivie

William George Ivie Sr.
August 14, 1927 to February 10, 2010

Friends and family are invited to a memorial service on Saturday, Feb. 13, at the First Presbyterian Church, 183 West Main Street, Cartersville at 11a.m. Born to William Morris and Madelyn Jeanette in Brooklyn, N.Y., Bill grew up in Brooklyn until the age of 12. He then moved to Morningside Drive on the upper West side of Manhattan where his love and passion for sports began. Bill was a devoted NY Giants football fan who celebrated every win and suffered every loss.

He graduated from the Bronx School of Science in 1945 and received a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in 1949. Shortly after his marriage to Leslie Jean Soper in 1951, he served a brief tour of duty in the U.S. Naval Reserves. In 1959, the family settled in Harrington Park, N.J., for 24 years. He enjoyed being a very active member of the community and raised three children there, Billy, David and Susan. He served as a volunteer fireman, Little League coach and member of the community planning board. He also helped build the Harrington Park town pool and served on election committees for local politicians. He was also an elder at the Norwood Presbyterian Church.
Bill worked his entire professional life as a retail store manager for Woolworth and retired at the age of 55. He and wife Jean initially settled at Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., in 1983, where they enjoyed years of sunshine and golf at the PGA National Golf Course. They moved closer to their children, David and Susan, and grandchildren in 2000, moving first to Woodstock and then to Cartersville in 2005.

Affectionately known to all as “Poppy,” he made friends easily and was loved by everyone he met. The real passion in his life were his grandchildren and he rarely missed a single important event in their lives. Whether it was a football, baseball, volleyball or lacrosse game, Poppy was there, cheering in the stands.

He was deeply committed to the “Not in Bartow” project, which provided food to poor families during the holidays, as well as the “Advocates for Bartow’s Children,” a group dedicated to helping local troubled children.

He was the beloved husband for 59 years of Jean Ivie; devoted father of William George Ivie III, Clinton, N.J., David Alan Ivie of Alpharetta and Susan Barrett of Cartersville. He deeply loved his grandchildren, Douglas Ivie, Sara Barrett, Kitty Ivie, Julia Barrett, William Barrett Jr., David Ivie Jr., Matthew Ivie and Caitlin Ivie. He is also survived by his brother, Robert Ivie of Carmel, Calif.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Advocates for Children, Box 446, Cartersville, GA 30120.