William Lewis O'Quinn Sr's Obituary
William Lewis O’Quinn, Sr., age 87, passed away on June 20, 2026, in Aurora, Colorado of natural causes. He was born in Lumberton, North Carolina in 1938 to the late Charlie and Lillian O’Quinn.
William was president of the Beta Club at Lumberton High School before graduating in 1956. He attended North Carolina State University on a full General Motors scholarship, graduating in 1961 with a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering. He briefly attended Duke University Law School and thereafter “read the law” with Malcolm Seawell, following which he passed the North Carolina Bar exam before ultimately receiving his JD from the University of Denver. He was a 1976 Diplomate of the Parker School of Foreign and Comparative Law at Columbia Law School.
William was licensed to practice law in North Carolina, Colorado, Ohio, Maryland, and the District of Columbia, and before the U.S. Supreme Court and numerous other federal courts. He was employed during his career by the Office of the Attorney General of North Carolina, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Carolina Power & Light Company, Liggett & Myers Incorporated, Atlantic-Richfield Company, and others.
He is survived by his son, William L. O’Quinn, Jr. (Holly), three grandchildren, a brother, and a sister. They and their relatives enjoyed his tales of adventure in developing countries he visited during the extensive international travels involved in his career.
A Celebration of Life will be held August 8, 2026 at 2:00 PM at Regan’s United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 5630 Regan Church Road, Lumberton, NC 28358 (business casual attire). Memorials may be made to the church.
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