Bill passed away on August 26 at age 77 following a lengthy battle with heart and bone marrow related illnesses.  He was a lifelong resident of Hope, Arkansas, where he was also a lifelong member of the Methodist church.

During World War II, Bill served his country for three years with the U.S. Army Air Corps in England.  Following his service, he returned to Arkansas to attend college at Henderson College and the University of Arkansas and then came home to take over the family farm and timber business.  

As a resident and community leader in Hope, Bill served on the Hope School Board for 16 years during the crucial time in the 1960s and 1970s when the Hope schools were being integrated.  He was also a member of the board of the School of Hope, a school for developmentally challenged children.  For 40 years, he served on the board of the Citizens National Bank, where he would visit each day and greet customers.  In 1993, he was appointed by Governor Jim Guy Tucker to the state’s Red River Commission, which promotes the economic viability of the southwest Arkansas region along the Red River.  

At the First United Methodist Church in Hope, Bill was chairman of several boards and committees and was a leader in the Century Bible Class.  In addition, he was a member of the board of Rose Hill Cemetery and an active member of local chapters of the Masons and the Shriners as well as a 50-year member of the Yellow Creek Hunting Club of McNab, Arkansas