August 25, 1922 - November 3, 2012
Bill was born in San Antonio, Texas on August 28, 1922 and passed away peacefully on November 3, 2012. He was a loving husband, devoted father, dedicated soldier, loyal Aggie, and a friend to many. The son of an Army Colonel, Bill was embedded from the beginning with American pride in its armed services. Bill was a member of the Class of 1944, Company "A" Chem Warfare, at the A&M College of Texas, now Texas A&M University, when the entire senior class was pulled out of school in 1943 and mobilized to provide officers for the European and Pacific efforts during World War II. Bill served as an officer in the transportation corps in England and France during the final year of the war in Europe. After the war, Bill was promoted to Captain and stationed in France where he met Miss Madeline Coupa, a young French woman who would become his wife for the next 62 years. They were married in Nancy, France in 1946 prior to his reassignment back in the U.S. She preceded him in death on February 13, 2008.
Bill spent a long career serving his country in the U.S Army, attaining the rank of Colonel. While stationed at Purdue University in 1955 as a Professor of Military Science, he finished his BS degree in Chemical Engineering, though he received his diploma from Texas A&M University. He was a graduate of the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas (1958), where he later taught military logistics for three years (1962-1965). In his final tour of duty (1965-1971) at the Pentagon, he served as the Chief of Supply Distribution, U.S. Army and for his exemplary service he received the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest non-combat medal awarded by the U.S. Army. Upon his retirement from military service in 1971, he returned to Texas A&M and received his Masters of Computer Science in 1973. Bill became the Director of Data Processing for Texas A&M University Systems and retired from the university in 1989.
Bill lived the last 12 years at the Army Retirement Community in San Antonio. He was at 33degree Master Mason and past president of the Lions Club in College Station. He has left behind his son Jack and his wife Michele of Dallas, Texas, his daughter Nancy and her husband Jim of Derwood, Maryland, along with his five grandchildren; Ryan, Chris, and Lea Lafield and Randy and Michelle Theel. He has also left behind his wife Kateva, her children and grandchildren.
A military honors funeral service will be held at 11:30 AM on November 14, 2012 at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, 1520 Harry Wurzbach Road, San Antonio, Texas
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