Roll Call Tribute

William Black Mebane
Dec 15, 1927 - March 15, 2020

William Black Mebane, a longtime Short Hills, NJ resident, died peacefully March 15, 2020 at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ. He was 92.

Bill was the son of David M. Mebane, Sr. and Ida Virginia (Black) Mebane. He grew up in Bryan, Texas with four siblings, David, Morris, Lucille and Mary, and moved to Michigan during high school. Bill served in the Air Force and then graduated from Texas A&M and Harvard Business School.

After Harvard, Bill moved to New York to work in the treasurer's office at General Motors. After 16 years at General Motors he was elected Secretary and Treasurer of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. He continued working in finance for other nonprofits until his retirement in 1997.

It was in New York that Bill met his future wife, Joan Hebbard Dumper. They were married in 1956 at Christ Church in Short Hills.

Bill was a lifetime volunteer with the Boy Scouts, receiving several awards, including the prestigious Silver Beaver, and he volunteered with the Interfaith Food Pantry. He enjoyed camping, hiking, gardening, and refinishing furniture and was an avid fan of the Opera.

Bill is survived by his children, David Mebane and his wife Beth of Westfield, NJ and Virginia Rader and her husband Todd of Menlo Park, CA; his grandchildren, Peter, Edward, and Samantha; his brother, Morris of Waco, TX; and his sister-in-law Bonnie Mebane of Montrose, CO.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Interfaith Food Pantry of the Oranges, P.O. Box 341, Short Hills, NJ 07078 or the Community Food Bank, 31 Evans Terminal, Hillside, NJ 07205.

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