William "Bill" Hallberg, author of several books and longtime professor of English at East
Carolina University, died of cancer on May 23 in his home in Asheville, NC. He was 67.
His novel, "The Rub of the Green," concerned golf and was published by Doubleday in 1988. The
New York Times Book Review called it "a story to be enjoyed by non-golfers and savored by those who
love the game." A memoir, "The Soul of Golf," followed in 1997. He also edited
"Perfect Lies," an anthology of golf stories by John Updike, Walker Percy, and others.
Hallberg was born on January 20, 1947, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and grew up in Bowling Green, Ohio. He
received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University of Ohio in 1969. He subsequently earned a
Master of Fine Arts degree from Bowling Green State University.
His first professorship was at Louisiana State University. In 1980, he moved to Greenville, NC, to become
an associate professor at ECU. During his 30-year tenure there, he chaired the Sigma Tau Delta honor
society, and published short stories and essays in journals including Ploughshares, The Southern Review,
and Golf.
His parents, Carl and Jane Hallberg, and his sister, Julie Hallberg, preceded him in death.
He is survived by his wife, Christy Alexander Hallberg, of Asheville; his son, Garth Risk Hallberg, of
Brooklyn, NY; his daughter, Rachel Coley, of Charlotte, NC; his sister, Lynn Hall, of West Olive, MI;
and two grandsons, Amos and Walter Hallberg, of Brooklyn, NY.
A memorial service will be held on the ECU campus on June 5.
A life celebration gathering for family and friends will be held at his home in Asheville on June 21.
Please email [email protected] for more information about these gatherings.
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