William James Clark

Our family is at a loss for words to describe the richness of our father’s life and the deep impact he had on his family and dear friends. As a friend of Bill’s so aptly wrote:

Bill has been a pleasure to know – he was always very much a gentleman who had a wonderful “vibe” for life and was an inspiration to all. One of my favourite memories is of him 3-wheel cycling at the age of 97!

Bill was born in Deadwood, South Dakota, on February 15, 1928, to Agnes Vera (Stewart) and William Avery Clark, and grew up with his foster parents, Oscar and Madge Milberg, and sisters Donna and Lauris (“Peg”) in Newell, South Dakota. Sadly, Bill’s mother, Agnes, passed away 2 weeks after Bill was born.

Bill felt lucky to grow up with two dads, Daddy Pawcock (Oscar) and Daddy Isss (William Avery). He loved adventure in his early years in Newell: ranching, 4H clubs, playing baseball and basketball, and riding his beloved horse, Smokey, to school. He graduated from Newell High School in 1946 and joined the Navy's air arm, serving in San Diego, CA, Corpus Christi, TX, Memphis, TN, Whidbey Island, WA, Honolulu HI, Kodiak Island, AK, and Seattle, WA. Bill reached the level of Petty Officer 1st class, Aviation Electronics Mate.

At the age of 21, Bill started getting serious about Roberta (“Bobbie”) Post, the younger sister of his friend, Gerald, and they quickly started dating. Bill worked a diversity of odd jobs, tried his hand at teaching, bus driving, and took a role as Chief Custodian at Newell High School, where, for a brief time, he had the distinction of supervising his own dad, Oscar, who was his “Assistant”. He converted his Navy training as an electrical engineer to take a job at the Homestake Mining Company (gold) in Lead, SD.

Bill and Bobbie married on October 18, 1952, raising the first four of their children (Lynette, Mickey, David, and Steve) before making a big move cross-country, to Richardson, Texas, in 1958, where Bill accepted a position with Texas Instruments, and Rick was born. In Texas, Bill really came into his own, coaching the boys at baseball and basketball and encouraging Lynette in her interests. He loved working at Texas Instruments, where he held the position of Field Support Manager, managing a large group of hardware engineers in the southwest region.

Bill had many passions in his life: his marriage and family, traveling the world, and giving back to the community. Bill was active in the Optimist Club, Richardson Sports Association, the Elks Lodge, and the American Legion. In 1978, Bill took flying lessons and became a pilot, resulting in many memorable holiday trips and even a part ownership in a Cessna 172 RG.

Loyal to their origins in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Bill and Bobbie made sure their kids knew the relatives back home. Within the family, Bill was known for his quick wit, his devotion to Bobbie, his kids and grandkids, and his love of the Cowboys (or, as he would say, “the Landry Cowboys”). In his later years, he and Bobbie would travel to Japan, England, and Australia many times. So as not to be called an “all hat and no cattle guy”, Bill enjoyed owning a few Australian cattle, cycling on his 3-wheeler, and loved sitting in the back yard with a coffee or a beer.

Bill will be greatly and forever missed; he will remain in our hearts, and we will continue to celebrate his life through the legacy of our own lives.

Bill is survived by his daughter, Lynette Broyles, his sons Mickey, David, Steve and Rick, Mickey’s family (Elena, Avery, Georgina, Austin, Remy, Adrian, Thurston, Philip, Beck, Addison, and Riley), David’s family (Patty, Heather, Brandon, Lucy, Luna), Steve’s family (Karen, Ryan, Rachel, Jenna, Michelle), Rick’s family (Kristi, Amanda and Cameron), and the extended Milberg and Post families. He is preceded in death by his wife, Bobbie, his parents, William Avery and Agnes, his foster parents, Oscar and Madge Milberg, his sisters, Donna and Peg, and his son-in-law, W Broyles.

Bill’s Memorial Service is planned for 2:00 pm, Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at First United Methodist Church of Richardson, where he and Bobbie were members.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First United Methodist Church, Richardson, TX.