William H. Guggolz Jr.

William Hal “Bill” Guggolz, Jr., raconteur, community leader, opera lover, wine connoisseur, culinary devotee, renaissance man and general bon vivant, died Tuesday, the 15th of January 2013. Bill was a man of sophisticated appetites, insatiable curiosity, sartorial splendor and an ascerbic wit, whose traditional gentlemanly demeanor was often paired with a salty tongue and a playful sense of humor. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and mentor, who, despite his façade of a gruff and crusty exterior, possessed a capacity for love that knew no bounds – especially for his wife, Lynn, his daughters, Elaine and Carolyn, and his grandchildren, Rod and Maggie.

Bill was born in Amarillo, Texas, on the 11th of April 1940, and lived in Lufkin, Texas, until his family moved “Billy” and his little brother, Tom, to the big city of San Antonio – sadly leaving their pet duck, Daisy, behind. They settled in the Alamo Heights neighborhood in San Antonio, where Bill soon embraced city life and culture, and met his lifelong friends, John Lupe, Ed Bondurant and Gilard Kargl. He attended the San Antonio Academy and the Texas Military Institute, dashingly wearing the traditional military uniform throughout his formative years, and developing a sense of pride in his attire that would remain a seminal part of his personality throughout his life.

College took him to Dallas and then back to San Antonio, where he obtained his degree from Trinity University, before enrolling in the business school at UT-Austin where his received his MBA. Always the entrepreneur -- whether selling “admission” to his dorm after hours, procuring highly desirable “official” documents for college classmates, racing his 1957 Chevy Bel-Air for trophies and a little extra profit throughout his teens, or owning a series of car washes in San Antonio just as the car wash craze was beginning in the mid-60s -- Bill always found a way to keep life interesting.

He used those same skills to great advantage during his stint as a Staff Sergeant in the 433rd Military Airlift Wing of the Air Force Reserve, serving for six years and essentially running the unit while earning a reputation for his ability to get things done, and becoming legendary for his knack for fulfilling strange and difficult requests.

During that same time, Bill made the decision to move to Houston to take a position with John L. Wortham & Son. Bill fell in love with Houston and found his professional calling at Wortham. Over his 44 years at Wortham, Bill rose to become not only a partner in the firm, but a Managing Director and member of the executive committee, while brokering complex insurance packages for many of Houston’s most prominent businesses, including the Oilers (and later the Titans), Astros, Texans, and Stewart & Stevenson. In typical fashion, so many of those who began as Bill’s clients ended up as some of his closest friends.

It was also in Houston that Bill met Lynn, beginning a love affair that would last the rest of his life. After dazzling her with his charm and wit, and impressing her with his not inconsiderable culinary talents, Lynn and Bill were married on the 5th of June 1982. Their honeymoon took them to the wine country in California, where Bill introduced Lynn to his lifelong passion for great wines. That passion would lead him back to California time and time again, where he was on a first name basis with many of the greatest winemakers in Napa and Sonoma. Indeed, over the years, Bill developed one of the great wine collections in Houston, and took pride in his knowledge of exactly where he obtained each bottle, how much it cost and how that particular vintage should be aging.

For decades, Lynn and Bill have been fixtures in the Houston community, becoming two of the most enthusiastic supporters of the Houston Grand Opera, the Ronald McDonald House and the Houston Junior Forum. Bill served on the HGO board for over twenty years, both on the Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors, including service as Chairman of the Trustees Committee and Co-Chairman of the Opera Studio Committee. Bill combined his love of opera with his love of wine, originating and chairing the first HGO Wine Classic in 1989 and again in 1990. In 1997, Lynn and Bill chaired the hugely successful Opera Ball, and in 2003 they stepped up again to chair HGO’s Concert of Arias. Lynn and Bill were also the Honorees of the Concert of Arias in 2005. Unfailingly, whether in a flamboyant tie and cummerbund, a uniquely patterned dinner jacket or a dashing tuxedo, Bill always arrived with his own dapper and distinctive flare.

In 1992, both Lynn and Bill were honorees of the Houston Junior Forum Gala, and over the years have served as Co-Chairs of The Ronald McDonald House Gala, The Houston Junior Forum Gala, and the Crohn’s & Colitis Winter Ball. Bill also served as a member of the Citizen’s Advisory Board of the Metropolitan Transit Authority. Their combined energy on behalf of the Houston community was matched only by their willingness to take on any task, no matter how small or large. For so many organizations in Houston, Bill’s passing will leave a void which will be impossible to completely fill.

When not serving the Houston community or manning his post at Wortham, Bill loved to travel, especially if that travel could be combined with his love of fine dining, great wine and history. Often he would insist on taking his family on extraordinary trips to Italy, Germany, London, Paris or on cruises along the Mediterranean or Alaskan coasts, all the while quizzing each of them on the sites they would see, the meals they would eat or the museums he loved. On many occasions he would hire private guides to take his family behind the scenes at famous museums or to remote castles or historic sites. Or, he would arrange for a meal for the entire family at one of the best restaurants in the world. His last great adventures were with his family in Hawaii and New York.

Bill also loved to spend time in Galveston, where he and Lynn built a beautiful house in Pirate’s Cove, at which they loved to relax and entertain. Bill designed the house from the ground up, and for years could reliably be found in the kitchen, preparing his famous Remoulade sauce or chopping vegetables for some otherworldly culinary creation. He loved to have friends and family to Galveston for the weekend, and thought nothing of opening the house to 40 or 50 relatives for family reunions, Thanksgiving celebrations or just a big party. While not always apparent on first impression, Bill loved people. His sometimes curmudgeonly exterior belied the gentle soul and kind heart that lay beneath. His constant teasing and incessant ribbing became a badge of honor for those who knew him well, and one could reliably measure the level of his affection by how much grief he gave you. The ability to give back as good as you got was the clear ticket to his inner circle.

Still, without question, Bill’s great love was his family. He was an extraordinary father to Elaine and Carolyn, offering sage wisdom and practical advice throughout his life, mentoring not only his daughters but many of their friends, boyfriends, and eventually husbands. His love for his grandson Rod and granddaughter Maggie was without bound, and they will always remember the playful head rubs and “itchee-gitchee goo” tickle fests that he loved to give. The enormity of Bill’s personality and depth of his love will be impossible to replace, but the influence he had on everyone who earned his sly grin and hearty guffaw will live forever.

Bill was a proud member of The Argyle, The Houston Club, The Houston Racquet Club, The Pelican Club, The Galveston Country Club, The Galveston Yacht Club and The Balboa Club in Mazatlan, Mexico.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, William Hal Guggolz and Mary Velma (Irwin) Guggolz. He is survived by his loving wife, Lynn; daughters, Elaine Roch Young and husband Donald, Carolyn Roch Henneman and husband Matt; grandson, Rodney Ray Young; granddaughter, Margaret Claire Henneman; brother Tom Guggolz and wife Margarite; niece Eloise Guggolz; nephew Hal Guggolz; and cousin Mrs. Marvin Rice.

Friends are cordially invited to gather with the family and share remembrances of Bill during a reception from five o'clock in the afternoon until eight o'clock in the evening on Sunday, the 20th of January, in the grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A memorial service is to be conducted at two o'clock in the afternoon on Monday, the 21st of January, in the sanctuary of St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 5501 Main Street in Houston, where Dr. Jim Bankston, Senior Minister, is to officiate.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family kindly suggests contributions be directed to the Houston Grand Opera Endowment, 510 Preston St., Houston, TX, 77002; or to St. Paul's United Methodist Church Foundation, 5501 Main St., Houston, TX, 77004.