Rev. William Elzie “W.E.” Fogarty, 68, of Tifton passed away Sunday, April 23, 2023, at Tift Regional Medical Center. His funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, 2023, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals with the Rev. Steve Tucker and the Rev. Andy Ring officiating. Rev. Fogarty will be laid to rest at Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery in Tifton. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals from 12:00 noon until the hour of the service.
Steve Cadwell, John Smith, Shane Grooms, Ronnie Dillard, Kevin Dillard and Paul Ledger will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Rev. Fogarty’s nephews and all attending pastors and deacons.
Born July 8, 1954, in Tifton, Rev. Fogarty was the son of the late Franklin Fogarty and Marcelle Hale Fogarty Lane. He was also preceded in death by his step-father, Clarence Lane; his step-mother, Betty Fogarty Thompson; two brothers; and one sister. He was employed with Kelley Manufacturing Company and he pastored Unity Baptist Church in Tifton for 13 years. He also served in the Georgia National Guard.
Rev. Fogarty is survived by his wife, Charlene Dillard Fogarty of Tifton; two sons and one daughter-in-law, David Fogarty and Chris and Stacy Fogarty, all of Tifton; six sisters and three brothers-in-law, Garland Webb of Tifton, Norine and John Smith of Brunswick, Elizabeth Gray of Brunswick, Priscilla and Frank Perigo of Albany, Nancy Gibson of Leesburg and Denny and Bill Flanakin of Arizona; one brother, Thomas Bridges of Rock Hill, South Carolina; four grandchildren and their spouses, Mylee and Arielle Hartford, Cody Fogarty (Kaitlyn Stone), Autumn and Brian Campbell and Gavin Fogarty; one great-grandson, Cohen Hartford; and one great-granddaughter, Arabella James.
Flowers will be accepted or memorial gifts may be made to the Georgia Baptist Children’s Home at www.georgiachildren.org.