Bill Bare

Year Inducted: 2024

Bill Bare was born on April 12, 1948 in Ashe County, North Carolina to Robert “Fuzzy” Bare and Bronda Viers Bare.  He was the oldest of 8 children; 6 boys and 2 girls. Bill moved to Wilkes early in childhood and went to elementary school at Union Township. He was a graduate in 1966 from West Wilkes High School.  While at West Wilkes, Bill was a member of the Beta Club. He also drove a school bus while in high school and was a member of the Bus Drivers Club. During high school, Bill also worked after school as a bag boy at Lowe’s Foods.  

Directly after graduation, Bill joined the United States Air Force and attended basic training in San Antonio, Texas. While in the Air Force, Bill received advanced training as a Morse Code Interceptor at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi.  Bill excelled as a Morse Code Interceptor, received top military secret clearance, and was stationed in Greece on the island of Crete. During his military service, Bill married his high school sweetheart, Carolyn Lovette on June 10, 1967. The couple have been happily married for 57 years and have 2 daughters and 5 grandchildren. The military fit Bill well and he would have most likely made a career serving his country, but a family hardship back in Wilkes resulted in Bill receiving an Honorable Discharge from service on November 30, 1970. 

Upon returning to Wilkes, Bill went to work for Lowe’s Company in the computer department. He became an IBM 360 Computer Operator before transferring to the Purchasing Department at Lowe’s.  Bill did not have a college degree like others in purchasing and knew he would need to prove his ability by “being the first one to work and the last one to leave.” His years of hard work paid off and Bill moved on to become the head of the Millwork Department at Lowe’s. He was the first and only Lowe’s employee at the time to take and pass the National Sash and Door Jobbers Association home study course.  Bill ended up leaving Lowe’s and set to work in outside sales for Semans Moulding Company out of Sacramento, California. His travel with Semans Moulding resulted in him getting first-hand knowledge of how the moulding industry operated and where other companies were failing.  He realized that most places did not provide excellent customer service. This thought led to the beginnings of East Coast Millwork Distributors (ECMD), of which Bill was Vice President. ECMD was started by local Wilkes County men who had never run a company before. The hard work and expertise of Bill Bare, Allen Dyer, Art Groce, Ed Staley, and Ed Sturdivant resulted in it being a leader in the millwork industry and employing countless employees, not only in Wilkes, but nationwide. 

Much could be said of Bill’s accomplishments and impact on Wilkes as a local businessman, but his real achievement is his character and how he chose to use the blessings God gave him. Being a strong Christian, Bill always gave God the glory and believed in sharing what the Lord had provided to others in need.  Bill has done countless acts of charity, many on large scales, without the desire to have his name on a building or a write-up in the local paper. Most of his contributions were always done anonymously and have ranged from simple gifts of Thanksgiving turkeys for families in need to purchases of numerous vehicles for individuals and non-profits, gifts of land, and formation of trusts. He is not a man to boast, in fact, he does the contrary and downplays all the many selfless acts he has done throughout his life. Anyone who knows Bill would describe him as an honest, hard-working, giving, family man. His dedication to his family is comparable to none other and their love and adoration, in return, is immeasurable.