William Lee Buggel “Bill”, 86 passed away on December 29, 2025 at his home in Meggett, South Carolina. A lifelong artist and creative force, Bill left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape of the American Southeast through his painting, photography and design work.

Born on May 8, 1939 in Columbia, SC, Bill’s early affinity for the visual arts led him to pursue formal studies at the University of South Carolina. He graduated in 1967 from the Fine Arts Department, where he studied under prominent artists including Augusta Witkoski, Catherine Rembert, Ed Yaghjian, and Boyd Saunders. His artistic foundation was further shaped by graduate studies at the University of Florida under Hiram Williams and early mentorship from J. Bardin.

Bill’s career was as multifaceted as his art. In the late 1960s, while still a student, he served as Assistant to the Director of the Columbia Museum of Art. In 1967, he moved to Charleston to become Assistant Director of the Gibbes Art Museum. 

Transitioning into photography in the 1970s and 1980s, Bill captured iconic images of world-renowned performers visiting Charleston. His subjects included Luciano Pavarotti, Ella Fitzgerald, Tennessee Williams, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Robert Penn Warren. His talent for capturing live performance was widely admired—Beverly Sills’ husband wrote that Bill’s photographs of her at Charleston’s Gailliard Auditorium were among the finest ever taken during her career. In the decades that followed, Bill emerged as a pioneering figure in both painting and photography. His early work as an abstract expressionist gained recognition when he was featured in the 1970 publication Contemporary Artists of South Carolina, produced by the South Carolina Arts Commission. At the time, he was noted as the youngest contemporary artist working in the state.

His business, ProFoto, became a hub for photographers in Charleston—processing black-and-white film and selling equipment and supplies. His photographic work extended to film sets as well; he contributed to productions such as Deliverance and The Big Chill. In 1975, his photograph, Alligator. 1969, black and white photograph 19.5 x 14.5 in, became the first photo acquired for the permanent South Carolina Art Collection.

Bill’s creativity continued to evolve through graphic design and entrepreneurship. He founded The Great Charleston T-shirt Printing Company—one of the region’s first businesses to silk screen on fabric and other materials. His innovative designs earned him five ADDY Awards for excellence in advertising.

In the late 1990s, Bill returned to painting with renewed vigor. Drawing inspiration from his years in screen printing, he began incorporating used t-shirts—once employed to clean plastisol ink from screens—into textured collage paintings. This body of work culminated in his solo exhibition Ragscapes-A One Man Show, 1999, The City Gallery, Charleston, SC.

At his beloved Meggett Marsh House studio in Meggett, SC, Bill embraced landscape painting using unconventional media such as red clay from upstate South Carolina and gray sand from Lowcountry marshes. These natural materials became integral to his depictions of light and color across fields and wetlands.

Travel also fueled his artistic vision. A journey to Thailand and Cambodia in 2006 inspired Lotus at Angkor Wat, mixed media on board, 8 feet by 4 feet, selected for exhibition at ArtFields in Lake City, SC in 2017. Other travels—to New Mexico and family gatherings in Union, SC—continued to nourish his creativity.

Throughout his life, Bill exhibited widely across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. In 2025, he was honored by the University of South Carolina during its centennial celebration of its art department “100 Years of Arts at the University of South Carolina” as one of its significant alumni artists. His work is held in numerous public and private collections including The Gibbes Museum of Art, The Florence Museum, The Columbia Museum of Art, The Greenville Museum of Art, The South Carolina Arts Commission Collection, The State Museum, and The McKissick Museum. He is also represented by Corrigan Gallery at 38 Queen St., Charleston, SC.

Bill was deeply committed to sharing his knowledge with others. He served as a mentor and collaborator for many artists over the years and took particular joy in encouraging young creatives embarking on their own artistic journeys. He also enjoyed sharing his love of jazz, the opera, the Rolling Stones and vintage cars.

He is survived by his wife Jane Hart of 45 years; his son Edward Hart Buggel; his brother Robert Frederick Buggel; and nieces Regina Trapp Golden and Julie Buggel Siokis. 

He was preceded in death by his mother Julia Faucher Buggel Trapp; his father William Edward Rose Buggel; and his brother James Walker Trapp Jr.

A memorial service celebrating Bill’s life will be held at a later date. 

The family requests that remembrances be made in the form of contributions to The Roper Foundation www.rsfh.com/foundation honoring Dr. David Ellison and his team who guided Bill and his family through almost 5 years of a pancreatic cancer diagnosis and treatment.

May Bill’s enduring legacy continue to inspire those who value creativity, curiosity, and a life devoted to art.