Robert Frederick Wrigglesworth

Robert F. (Bob) Wrigglesworth, 73, of Murrells Inlet, passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 17, 2019 at South Strand Medical Center. He was born June 20, 1945 in Georgetown, Ontario, Canada to Howard and Ruth Giffen Wrigglesworth and was fondly called Little Joe by his father.

Bob enjoyed a successful career with Northern Telecom (later Nortel Networks) beginning his work experience with Northern Telecom near Toronto, Ontario. He moved up the ladder quickly, and Northern Telecom brought him to Atlanta, Georgia in April 1979 as Materials Manager. His next move was to Raleigh, North Carolina, in April 1983 as Plant Manager. He retired from Nortel in December 1998 as Director of Global Real Estate.

After retirement, Bob fulfilled a life-long dream of driving a big truck for a logistics company. He would pack his little cooler and away he would go.  He loved every minute of it. Later, he worked for CB Richard Ellis Real Estate Management Company traveling nationwide until 2010. 

He loved giving back to the community and enjoyed many years of volunteer work with United Way in Raleigh.  In his retirement he began working with United Way of Georgetown, SC, later serving on the Board of the South Carolina United Way for many years.

Bob also worked many years with AmeriCorps as a member of the South Carolina Commission on National and Community Service. His appointment ends June 2019. 

He was a big proponent of exercising his right to vote and worked as a poll clerk and then served on the Board of Voter Registration and Elections of Georgetown County. His mother always told him, “Try to leave a ripple in the pond of life “. As you can see, he tried to leave as many ripples as possible.

Bob leaves a host of family members and good friends from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, California and Canada, with whom he shared his love of golf, tennis, boating, bridge and he really loved getting together with family and friends.  He looked forward to getting out on the river, going golfing and just anything with "his people".

He loved music especially Willie Nelson and loved to sing along with him.  He also loved classical and religious..He sang in the church choir as a boy and continued throughout his life.  He would come home on Wednesday night after choir practice and say "I had so much fun tonight".  He loved to sing Handel's Messiah and would listen to it all year along with Willie.

We must mention his devotion to the NC State Wolfpack.  When he moved to Raleigh, NC his friends told him he had to pick a team in the area.  There was Duke and Carolina who always had good teams but he chose NC State.  They didn't win very often but he was always pulling for them and when they did win he was a happy man.

It really was all about the dash between birth and leaving this earth for Bob.  He worked tirelessly to make life better for those around him and make the best of every day he lived.

Surviving are his loving wife of 24 years, Phyllis Byrd Wrigglesworth; daughter, Sydney and Matt Godfrey of Asheville, NC; step-daughter, Celeste Cantrell and Neil Batson of Chapel Hill, NC; step-son, Scott Cantrell and Deborah Guerin of Mooresville, NC. Also surviving are his grandsons Van and Walker Godfrey of Asheville, NC and David and Adam Batson of Chapel Hill, NC whom he adored and treasured; Brother, Doug and Nancy Wrigglesworth of Newmarket, Ontario, step-brothers Tom and Marg Forgrave of Edmonton, Alberta, and Pete and Laraine Forgrave of Haliburton, Ontario; brother in law, Walter Byrd of Rock Hill, SC and nieces and nephews, Martin, Mike, Rob, Dan, Susie, Lissa, and Greg.

A celebration of Bob’s life will be at Belin United Methodist Church in Murrells Inlet Saturday, March 2, 2019 at 2 pm. See Burroughs Funeral Home website at www.burroughsfh.com for details, condolences and memories of Bob.

Memorials may be made to Belin United Methodist Church Choir Fund, Post Office Box 528, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576.

Burroughs Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Murrells Inlet is in charge of arrangements. 843-651-1440

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