USAF (Ret.) Lt. Col. William B. Hogan

Bill Hogan, 94, of San Antonio, passed away on March 24, 2017. Bill was born in Cisco, Texas, the 2nd of four children to Cornelius Frances Hogan and Irene Bartrug Hogan. He is most known and remembered for his devoted love for God, his wife Sandy and the family that they created together. Bill and Sandy were married for 70 years when she passed away in September of 2014. Even through his grief, Bill continued to show his undying selfless love and support for all 80 members of his family, including his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and all the spouses. He also made it a priority to maintain the loving friendships he developed throughout his lifetime.

Like so many others among his generation, Bill rarely, if ever, spoke of his many notable accomplishments in life. Bill was a fierce competitor and had a passion for sports from very early in life until the very end. Playing for the Odessa High Bronchos, he was captain of both the basketball and football teams. Nicknamed "Side Arm Billy," as quarterback for the Bronchos, Bill was named to the Texas High School Coaches Association All Star Team. He was recruited to The University Of Texas in 1941. His college football career was cut short when he volunteered to serve in the Army Air Corps following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. But even there, Bill found a way to play football when The War Department created military base teams that played against depleted university teams. During his stint playing in the military, he had the privilege of playing on the same team with Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside, Heisman Trophy winners, "Doc" Blanchard and Glenn Davis, in several exhibition games. For many years, he also was a pitcher on the military fast pitch softball teams and often played for civilian teams as a hired gun. He was an avid golfer all of his life and had a special love for bowling.

Bill's military career spanned through WWII, The Korean War, and Vietnam. During WWII, he was a flight instructor at West Point. He retired in 1965 as Commander of the 345th Troop Carrier Squadron (TAC), flying the C130 Hercules at Dyess AFB, Texas. He then served 32 years in Civil Service specializing in Base Housing at Dyess AFB, two terms at Rhein-Main AFB in Germany and retired at Randolph AFB in San Antonio.

He met the love of his life in a bowling alley in Odessa, Texas. Sandy was 15, living in Kansas at the time and was visiting her sister in Odessa. Three years later, she joined Bill in New York where he was stationed as a pilot at Stewart Field, and they got married. The rest is history. That history is now a legacy. Together they built the family of their dreams. As Sandy would say, they had a baby in every port. They were a team and raised their family with love, discipline, and a great devotion to God and the Catholic Church. No matter where they were or what was going on, they would always be at Mass on Sunday, with all the kids when they were young, together in the later years, and Bill alone the last two and a half.

After Sandy's death, Bill continued his passion for bowling. He played in leagues five to six days per week. On Wednesday, March 22nd, at 11:30 AM, on Lane 15, in the 2nd frame, Bill threw his last ball. Bill often jokingly would say, "I met my wife in the alley". On this morning, Sandy came down from heaven and met him in the "alley" once again, to take him home. He hung on for two more days, which enabled all eight of his children to come to his side to surround him with love and prayers and to say good-bye.

Bill leaves behind, to cherish his memory, his sister Betty Jean Hellman of El Paso, his 8 children, Sandra Hogan Coxwell, Will Hogan, Patti Hogan Gullahorn, Chuck Hogan, JP Hogan, Terri Hogan Milan, Michael Hogan, and Chris Hogan and their families including 22 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren with two on the way, and all spouses. So many friends and other relatives will also cherish their memory of him.

Whenever Bill was asked, "How are you?" His answer would always be "fantastic!" Whether we called him Bill, Dad, Papa, or Great-Papa, to us all, he was "FANTASTIC!"

The family will receive friends beginning at 6:30 PM, Sunday April 9, at St. Mark The Evangelist Church, 1602 Thousand Oaks.

Rosary

Sunday - April 9, 2017

7:30 PM

St. Mark The Evangelist Catholic Church

Funeral Mass

Monday – April 10, 2017

11:00 AM

St. Mark The Evangelist Catholic Church

Interment will follow in Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery at 1:00 PM

In lieu of flowers, Bill's family requests that you honor his life by doing something FANTASTIC for someone you love.