William Brittain Glenn

William Brittain Glenn, outdoorsman, sportsman and guide, died in Charleston Monday. He was 56.

The son of Jonas Brittain Glenn and Bernadine Read Glenn, 'Billy' was born in New York City on April 25, 1962. He grew up in downtown Charleston and spent many afternoons of his youth at Hazel Parker Playground, where his father, known as 'Coach Britt' to all, trained the neighborhood boys' football team. He graduated from College Preparatory School and attended the College of Charleston.

A keen lifelong outdoorsman, Billy chose early on to pursue a career that would feed his love and passion for the woods and waters of the Lowcountry. Through years of working or volunteering on countless projects with professional foresters, land managers and wildlife biologists, he became a highly adept and accomplished practitioner of their skills in his own right.

Gregarious, quick-witted and humorous, Billy possessed that rare charm and ability to make instant and lasting friends with people of all ages and walks of life. It was these innate qualities, when combined with his deep knowledge and experience as a sportsman, which served him well as a popular professional hunting-and-fishing guide. Though he primarily focused on taking his clients turkey hunting and inshore fishing - he was an Orvis-endorsed guide - he was also renowned as a skilled offshore fisherman, deer hunter and waterfowler. An ethical sportsman and an ardent conservationist, Billy advocated tirelessly for sustainable natural resource management, particularly of fisheries, wildlife habitat and game populations. He believed that promoting the traditional outdoor pursuits of hunting and fishing is the most effective way to ensure the preservation of the longleaf pine forests, cypress swamps, saltwater estuaries and coastal waters that he cherished.

He was an inspiration to many, beloved by all, and leaves behind the proud legacy of a life well spent in the natural world. He will be much missed and long remembered.  Billy is survived by his parents; his son, William Walter Cristobal Glenn, and his sister, Elizabeth Glenn Thomas.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 27, 2019, at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 67 Anson St., at 11 a.m.

Donations in Billy's memory can be made to the Coastal Conservation League or the charity of your choice.