A memorial service for William L. "Bill" Atchley of Murrells Inlet, S.C., will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Grace United Methodist Church. The Rev. Larry Gallamore will officiate.

Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Atchley, 68, died Friday, Feb. 18, 2000, of an apparent heart attack while attending a John McCain rally.

He was born Feb. 16, 1932, in Cape Girardeau, son of William Cecil and Mary M. Bicket Atchley. He and Patsy Limbaugh had been married 45 years.

Atchley attended May Greene School, graduated from Central High School where he played baseball and basketball, and attended Southeast Missouri State University. He received bachelor and master degrees in civil engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla, and doctorate degree from Texas A&M University.

He served as president of Clemson University and University of the Pacific, president of the National Science Center Foundation, dean of engineering at West Virginia University, associate dean and professor of engineering at the University of Missouri-Rolla.

Atchley served as interim president of Southeast University from July 1995-July 1996, and was officially named the 15th president of the university.

He had been a member of Grace Church.

Survivors include his wife; a son, David Atchley of Charlotte, N.C.; two daughters, Pamela Still of Shelby, N.C., Julie Smith of St. Louis; a brother, Gary Atchley of Sikeston; and four grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister.