William Wesley Roughton was born on March 24, 1925, in the Methodist
parsonage in Cumings, Kansas, the oldest of three children born to the Reverend
William Harvey Roughton and Easter Bell Mosser Roughton. Returning to the family
farm in Sandersville, Georgia, as a child, Bill graduated from Sandersville High
School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Asbury College,
Wilmore, Kentucky, in 1945, and a Master of Divinity degree from Asbury
Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky in 1948.
In 1946 he married Madeline Lounette McCullough from Tarrant City, Alabama, to whom he was married for sixty-three years, until her death in 2009. Bill and Lounette had three children, Kenneth Marshall Roughton, Philip Hugh Roughton, and Judith Earline Roughton.
Bill was admitted into the Florida Conference on trial and ordained a deacon in 1948 and was received into full connection and ordained an elder in 1950. Assigned to a six-acre parcel of land in Ft. Pierce as his first pastoral appointment, Bill organized and led a new congregation, Community Methodist, 1948-54. He then served the following appointments: Goss Memorial, Orlando, 1954-61; First, Ft. Lauderdale, 1961-66; superintendent, Tallahassee District, 1966-69; superintendent, Gainesville District, 1969-72; Cason Memorial, Delray Beach, 1972-78; Christ, St. Petersburg, 1978-82; superintendent, Lakeland District, 1982-85; and First, Melbourne, 1985-90, from which he retired after forty-four years of ministry.
In addition to his work as a pastor, Bill was elected to Jurisdictional and General Conference delegations, served on the Board of Christian Social Concerns, the board of Shade and Fresh Water, and many other district and conference committees. He was active in the Emmaus and Kairos ministries well into retirement. His alma mater, Asbury College, awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree. During his tenure as a district superintendent, Bill's kind, cooperative style earned him the nickname "Sweet William" in the cabinet.
In retirement he and Lounette continued a team ministry, as together for thirteen years they visited in nursing homes and provided pastoral care with homebound members of First Church in Lakeland.
His skill in listening, coupled with his love for people and commitment to the basic rights and value of every human being, prompted Bishop James W. Henley to appoint him to the Gainesville District following the dismantling of the Central Jurisdiction, to provide leadership in the integration of the Methodist Church. He never hesitated to courageously take a stand in the name of what he understood to be God's truth. With an unshakable belief in God's power to transform the human heart in a way that changes the way a person lives in the world and a passionate commitment to fairness and justice, Bill captured the essence of Wesleyan Christian faith. Because of that faith, Bill's life and ministry influenced many, many people for the sake of the Christ he faithfully served and loved.
Bill died on March 3, 2011. A celebration of his life and ministry, led by the Reverend David McEntire, was held at First United Methodist Church, Lakeland, Florida, on March 12, 2011. Interment was in Lakeland Memorial Gardens.
He is survived by his son Ken and wife Sandy, his son Phil and wife Mica, and his daughter Judy; six grandchildren; and eight great grandchildren.
Submitted by the Roughton Family