GARLAND — Mr. William L. Pearsall Sr., 79, of 1015 Davis Road, died Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012 at his residence.

Mr. Pearsall was the son of the late Sallie Sasser and Wilbert Pearsall. He began is working career as a small boy in Wayne County struggling behind a mule and plow. He never stopped working after that. He was a veteran of the United States Army and served during the Korean War, after his honorable discharge he worked for a short time as a steelworker in Detroit for Ford Motor Company. Later he became a bus driver for Greyhound Bus Company. As a driver he drove over one million miles in 32 years and never had an accident, one of the most amazing safety records ever achieved by a driver. In later years he was elected vice president of the Local 1303 of the Amalgamated Transit Union and represented his fellow bus drivers for more than 10 years in Chicago, Ill. Even after retiring from Greyhound he wouldn’t stop working. When he came back to North Carolina his working spirit was still going. He spent the last working days for Mack Rich Trucking of Garland. At the time of his death he as 32nd degree mason.

The funeral will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 22, at Carter Funeral Home with the Rev. Thomas Moore officiating. Burial will follow in the Garland Cemetery.

Mr. Pearsall is survived by two daughters, Katherine Ross, Deborah Hillestad both of Garland; four sons, William Pearsall Jr., of Garland, David Pearsall of Pikeville, Lawrence Pearsall of Beloit, Wis., James Pearsall of Smithfield; 20 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren.

The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, at Carter Funeral Home in Garland.

In lieu of flowers, memorial may be made to the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital.

Online condolences maybe sent www.carterfh.com.

Services entrusted to Carter Funeral Home, Garland.