William Gregg, Jr.

William John Gregg, Jr. passed away at the age of 81 on July 2, 2021 in Nashville, TN.

He was born in Brownsville Hospital in Brownsville, PA on July 8, 1939, the son of the late William John Gregg, Sr. and Elizabeth Craft Gregg.

Bill attended Redstone Township High School and joined the Army Reserves upon graduation in 1957.  After his military service, he attended what is now California University of Pennsylvania, graduating with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Education and later earned a Master’s Degree in Biology from West Virginia University.  In what started his love of travel and exploration, he set out from PA to seek his future in Miami, Florida in 1961.  It was there he met and married the love of his life, Sharon Ann Martens. They moved to Sunshine Ranches, Florida to start their family in 1968.  He taught Biology and Anatomy/Physiology at North Miami Senior High School, where he served as a positive influence to so many lives. Always a renaissance man, he earned his private pilot’s license and taught aviation ground school to high school and college students. After 30 years of teaching, he retired and worked as Sacristan at St. Mark Catholic Church in Southwest Ranches, Florida.

A life long adventurer, he loved visiting historical, scientific sites and natural wonders whether they were overseas or simply getting in his truck and setting out across the United States. One of his proudest achievements was visiting all 50 states and many National Parks across the country. For his 70th, 75th and 80th birthdays, he fulfilled a lifelong ambition and went skydiving, amazing the younger people around him.  He and Sharon have spent their most recent years in Kingston Springs, TN, a return to the small town life he enjoyed in his youth. He and Sharon enjoyed their daily visits to the Bellevue YMCA where they made many new friends who they love dearly, and felt a sense of belonging as parishioners of St Henry’s Catholic Church.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Sharon Gregg (nee Martens), his two sons Dr. William Michael Gregg and his wife Joanna of Nashville, TN and Dr. John Martens Gregg and his wife Kristin of Dallas, TX.  He is also survived and loved very much by his grandchildren, Benjamin, Juliette and Evangeline, his sister-in-law Marlene Steinhauer and her husband Barney, sister-in-law Linda Martens; his nephew William Amos, niece Deneen Amos Buswell and several grand nieces and cousins, and his lifelong childhood friend Carmen Congelio.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Phyllis Gregg Amos, her husband William Amos and his brother-in-law Alex Martens.

A small, private celebration of life will be planned in the near future. Donations in his memory can be made to the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center or the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Memorials may be left for William at West Harpeth Funeral Home.