William ("Bill") Madrey, Jr. was born on January 17, 1943 to William Madrey, Sr. and Rosetta Holley Madrey in Edenton, North Carolina.

Bill graduated from D. F. Walker High School in Edenton, NC in 1960.  He graduated from Elizabeth City State University in Elizabeth City, NC in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education. At ECSU, Bill demonstrated his basketball prowess and his football agility; it was there that he also learned the game of tennis, which he came to love and master. Following college graduation, Bill enrolled at North Carolina A & T State University, Greensboro, NC, where he received two Master of Science degrees. He began doctoral study in 1980 at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH.  Later, he transferred to Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN, where he received the Doctor of Arts degree in Physical Education, with a minor in Higher Education Administration/Athletic Administration in 1984.

Bill began his professional career in 1964 as a biology and physical education teacher and boys' basketball coach with Camden County Schools in Belcross, NC. After two years, he assumed the position of counselor with the Neighborhood Youth Corporation of the Economic Improvement Council, Inc., in Edenton, NC, where he remained until 1969.  In September of that year, Bill was promoted to the position of New Careers Deputy Director with the agency. From January 1971 to June 1972, he moved into the position of Manpower Director and Job Developer with EIC in Greensboro, NC.

In August 1973, Bill entered the field of higher education, starting first at Saint Augustine's College in Raleigh, NC, where he held positions of assistant professor of physical education, head men's and women's tennis coach, men's assistant basketball coach, and assistant athletic director during his 17 years there. He also served as a graduate administrative associate in the Developmental Education program in University College and as a graduate assistant tennis coach in the Department of Athletics at The Ohio State University. At Middle Tennessee State University, he was a graduate teaching associate and graduate assistant tennis coach. Following receipt of his doctorate degree from MTSU, Bill was appointed to the position of associate professor of physical education and coordinator of the Minority Trainee/Intern Program at the University of Tennessee at Martin. He relocated to Charlotte, NC in 1984, where he was assistant professor of physical education, assistant men's basketball coach, and men's head tennis coach at Johnson C. Smith University. He left in 1987 to become professor of physical education and recreation and as chairman of the Department of Physical Education and Recreation at Barber-Scotia College in Concord, NC. In fall 1988, Bill was health and physical education instructor, head football coach, and girls' head soccer coach with Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Schools in Charlotte, NC. He returned to Barber-Scotia College in Concord in 1991, where he served as professor and coordinator of physical education, athletics director, and activity director for the National Youth Sports Program (NYSP). For three years, he also served as Faculty Senate president. In 1994, Bill moved to Winston-Salem, NC and began his 14-year tenure as an earth science teacher at Glenn High School with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. He ended his professional career when he retired from this position in 2010.

Bill was a consummate athlete – among the best of the best – in football, basketball, and most especially tennis. He was a certified tennis professional and loved every aspect of the game. His masterful moves and swings eluded his opponents. He taught tennis to numerous children in camps and competitions in Charlotte and Winston-Salem. He was a team leader with the National Junior Tennis League in Raleigh, North Carolina; in Charlotte, he organized the First Annual Reebok HBCU Hard Court National Championship.

In 1989, Bill was named Football Coach of the Year for Wilson Middle School in Charlotte, NC, and in 1992-94, he was the Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (EIAC) Tennis Coach of the Year. Among his most prized accomplishments were coaching his tennis teams at Saint Augustine's College and Johnson C. Smith University to conference championships. He was also proud to have served as a consultant to the Nigerian Lawn Tennis Association in Lagos, Nigeria in 1978, 1985, and 1987. His 1985 tour to Nigeria included advising the organization on future construction of a tennis facility in Lagos. In 1987, he conducted a tennis clinic in Lagos involving 23 of Nigeria's top junior players.

Bill was a member of Gale Street Baptist Church in Edenton and maintained membership there until he joined Seventh Avenue Community Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio in the early 1980s. After relocating to Charlotte, North Carolina in 1984, he became a member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. Since December 1994, Bill has been a member of United Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. There, he served as a member of the Transportation Ministry, as a Den, Pack, and Troop Leader in Boy Scout Troop 916, and participated in other activities. Through Boy Scouts, he assisted with taking the troop on many trips to Camp Raven Knob and on other scouting adventures.

Bill was a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), board member of the Salvation Army Boy's Club Council in Charlotte, North Carolina, Board of Directors of the Association of Sickle Cell Anemia of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Advisory Board of the Sugar Creek Recreation Center in Charlotte, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Advisory Selection Committee for the Southern Region (tennis). Bill became a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. in 1967 through the Rho Rho chapter in Ahoskie, North Carolina. He was also a member of the Pi Phi chapter of Omega Psi Phi in Charlotte.

In 1972, Bill was inducted into the Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, and in 1981 into the Phi Delta Kappa International Honor Society at The Ohio State University. His professional memberships included the following:  American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance; North Carolina Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance; National Association for Sports and Physical Education; American Association for Leisure and Recreation; Association for Research, Administration, Professional Councils and Societies; American School and Community Safety Association; United States Professional Tennis Association; United States Tennis Association (life member); Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Association; and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. In 1977, Bill was named CIAA Tennis Coach of the Year, and from 1977 to 1980, he was president of the CIAA Tennis Coaches Association. He was named to International Who's Who in Tennis in 1983.

Bill hated goodbyes and, in similar fashion, left this world without giving one. Bill was preceded in death by his parents; son, William ("Billy") Madrey, III; siblings Ruth Walker, Elton Taylor, Edward Taylor, Elizabeth Sessoms, and Phyllis Britton. Left to enjoy wonderful memories is a very close family of those related by birth, marriage, and association. These include his wife of 35 years, Francine G. Madrey; children, Zachary Derryl Madrey and his wife Lori Corbin of Portland, Maine; Jonathan Norfleet of Raleigh, North Carolina; Dollicia Laverne White of Edenton, North Carolina; Sheila M. Giles of Greensboro, North Carolina; Phyllis Madrey Long and husband Kenneth of Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Holly Madrey Pitts and husband Jermaine of Kernersville, North Carolina; and Michael Giles Madrey of Winston-Salem, North Carolina; sister, Odelle Colvin of Ewing, New Jersey; grandchildren, Joshua Madrey, Rayshaun White, O'Sha White, Brandon Maynard, Jessica Harper, Amiyah Long, Ariana Madrey, Kyleigh Long, Jermaine Pitts, Jr., and Kenneth Long, III; great-granddaughter, London Bre'yeille White; sisters-in-law, Patricia Clark of Nashville, Tennessee; Linda Sanders of Brownsville, Tennessee; Edith Williams of Stanton, Tennessee; Henrietta Giles of Martin, Tennessee; and Lettie Jean Giles of Nashville, Tennessee; brothers-in-law, Cecil Giles of Stanton, Tennessee; Rev. Daniel Donaldson of Martin, Tennessee; and Rev. Dwight Sanders of Brownsville, Tennessee; devoted friend, Erica Landaverde of Charlotte, North Carolina; and a host of loving nephews, nieces, dear cousins, former tennis players and students, and friends throughout the country.

Funeral services for Dr. William Madrey, Jr. will be held at 12:00 noon Thursday, February 15, 2018, at United Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, 450 Metropolitan Drive, Winston-Salem, NC. Family hour is 11:00am at the church; it will be preceded by the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Omega Omega Service at 10:30am. The family will receive friends at Russell Funeral Home, 822 Carl Russell Drive, Winston-Salem, NC Wednesday, February 14, 2018, from 5:00pm - 7:00pm. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the United Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church Endowment Scholarship Fund in memory of William Madrey, Jr.