William D. Gambill II

William D. Gambill II
1946-2019

William D. Gambill II, 72, of Longboat Key, FL passed away on July 7, 2019.  Born Nov. 10, 1946 to William D. Gambill MD and Martha Peek Gambill, Bill’s childhood was spent in Indianapolis and on Nantucket where he became a proficient sailor.  

He graduated from Indiana University and remained a lifelong fan of IU sports.  It was there he developed a love of golf and for the rest of his life always enjoyed a good game, be it a yearly round with his SAE fraternity brothers or a weekly round with club golfing buddies.  Bill received an MBA from Emory University.  He began his business career at Coca-Cola but soon migrated to commercial real estate investment and development.  His work took him to Los Angeles and then to Denver for many years and finally to Longboat Key where he oversaw the acquisition and management of several resorts on Siesta Key and Venice, FL.

In his final years he volunteered his time as Treasurer of Christ Church of Longboat Key and assisted in the development of Reading Buddies, a church sponsored reading program for at risk children at the 13th Ave. Dream Center in Bradenton.  It gave “Mr. Bill,” as he was known by the children, great satisfaction to see his little buddies making good progress.

“Known for his easy demeanor, gentle humor and wise counsel, Bill was a decent, kind man, beloved by many.”

Known for his easy demeanor, gentle humor and wise counsel, Bill was a decent, kind man, beloved by many:  his family, his wife’s family, many friends and co-workers.  He is survived by his stepmother, Annette Gambill; his sister, Judy Smith (Warren); his nephew, Lee Smith (Lisa) and niece , Whitney Vogt (Steve); great-nephews, Logan Smith and Evan Vogt; great-niece, Shelby Smith; stepdaughter Maura Semmes (Gib) and little grandson, John; and his devoted wife, Lutie.

Condolences for the family may be given online at www.GriffithCline.com.

SERVICE:
A memorial service will be held at a later date.

DONATIONS:
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:  Christ Church of Longboat Key, memo:  “Reading Buddies” 6400 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key, FL 34228.