Mr. William Boyd Oglesby, 77, of Winston-Salem – a loving father, brother, uncle, and son with a heart as big as the open sky – went home to be with the Lord on Friday, February 14, 2020 at Forsyth Medical Center.  Semper Fi!

Mr. Oglesby was born on July 4, 1942, to the late Hosea and Geneva Phillips Oglesby in Shelby, NC.  He was a 1961 graduate of Cleveland High School in Shelby.  He continued his education by receiving a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Excelsior College in Albany, NY, and advanced degrees and certificates from School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Mr. Oglesby proudly served in the US Marine Corps from 1962-1968 and deployed to the Republic of Vietnam, serving with distinction in harsh environments. He then worked for the Department of Defense, where he lived in Germany for much of his career.  He would return to Virginia to finish out his career and retired in 2017.  Mr. Oglesby decided to return to Winston-Salem, NC, to spend his retirement years with his beloved family.

Along with his mother and father, Mr. Oglesby was preceded in death by three brothers, Odell Oglesby, Graham Norris, and Thomas Charles Norris; two beloved sisters, Lillie Victoria Bynum, Alice Wilkins; and one grandson, Quincy Pickett.

William leaves to cherish his never-ending memories and to fulfill his legacy, four sons, Brigadier General (Ret) Richard Dix (Cynthia) of Atlanta GA, William Oglesby II (Yalanda) of Aliso Viejo, CA, Micah Oglesby of the home, and Calvin Kahler of Germany; two daughters, Regina Pickett of Trenton, NJ, and Leah Oglesby, of Mt. Holly, NC; four sisters, Ida Bell Haynes (West) of Gaffney, SC, Brenda and Debra Oglesby of Winston-Salem, NC, and devoted caregiver Leneva Rainey (Sylvester) of Kernersville, NC; sister-n-law, Henry Mae Oglesby of Winston-Salem, NC; loyal former wife, Catherine Scott of Mt. Holly, NC, and niece and devoted caregiver, Delores Lowery of Kernersville, NC.  Mr. Oglesby also leaves behind eight grandchildren, Tremayne Pickett, Taylor Pickett Stokes, Jordan Meaurie Pickett, Richard (JR) Dix, Jr., Chandler Nicole Dix, Cameron Oglesby, Ayana and Bria Oglesby; five great-grandchildren, Kaiya, Tremayne Jr., and Oba Pickett, Jaden Dix, Jada Parrott; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Funeral services will be conducted 1:00 pm on Saturday, February 22, 2020 at Galilee Missionary Baptist Church.  Interment will follow in Piedmont Memorial Gardens.  The family will receive friends from 12noon until 1:00pm on Saturday at the Church.