Church Benefactor Spotlight: Will Moredock – Quarterly Connection, April 2026

Will Moredock (1950-2019) was a quiet presence in our congregation. A passionate defender of democracy, Will was gentle, generous, and humble. These fine qualities characterized in relation to people less well off than him and in his quiet defense of the natural environment and animals.

Born and educated in South Carolina, he was a reporter for The Columbia Record and The State newspapers. He founded, published, and edited The Point, a weekly newspaper in Columbia for several years. For ten years, he wrote a regular column on local politics for The City Paper in Charleston. The name of his column was “Good Fight.” To conclude one of his last columns for The City Paper in 2012 he wrote, “Journalism matters. Independent columnists matter. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.” Will would have a vital place in 2026 South Carolina and the US.

Will always spoke up for SC’s marginalized and exploited, and strongly critiqued the individuals and systems that benefited from that marginalization and exploitation, whether through deliberate greed and mean-spirited policies or simply through self-centered indifference. Will used his voice to comment on state and local politics. He offered a refreshing liberal perspective in deep red South Carolina. In 2015, he published a collection of his columns titled Living in Fear, focused on the way that racial fear has shaped the politics and culture of South Carolina. He had a quiet sense of style and was known both for his wit and wisdom taken from a careful study of South Carolina history. In The Art of the Political Putdown: The Greatest Comebacks, Ripostes, and Retorts in History, which he co-authored, you get an appreciation for his sense of humor. Books by Will Moredock can be accessed with this link.

Will Moredock was never afraid to speak truth to power. He was “woke,” long before it became a reviled hashtag, in the very best sense of the word: He truly cared about how other people were treated and wanted the best for them, speaking up for those less fortunate than him. He volunteered at the Lowcountry Food Bank. Will was active in the Social Justice Committee, Church PR Committee, Nominating Committee, Green Sanctuary, CAJM and gave several forums about his books.

Will’s passion, commitment, and kindness left an impression on all who knew him. He married Maryam Naderi late in life. Those who knew the couple saw the happiness they shared. Will left a considerable portion of his estate to the General Endowment Fund to help support the Unitarian Church in Charleston in perpetuity.

Submitted by Steve Wilson with help from Richard Hayes and Simon Lewis.