Billy (Bill) Harold Barkley Sr. was born October 6, 1923, to William Guffie and Mavis Doggett Barkley in Hamilton, Texas. He passed away January 28, 2025, at 101 years of age with his three sons at his bedside. He graduated from Hamilton High School in 1941 and then attended John Tarleton Agricultural College in Stephenville for two years before entering the Army Air Corp in April, 1943. He married Claudine Fergusson in June, 1943, in Wichita, Kansas at the First Methodist Church; Claudine preceded him in death on September 17, 2010.
Bill was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant in 1946 upon his return from one year of service on the island of Guam in the South Pacific; he is believed to be Hamilton County’s last surviving World War II veteran. He entered the University of Texas – Austin that same year, and graduated in January, 1949, with a BBA Degree with a major in Personnel Management. Upon graduation, he was employed by Sears, Roebuck &Company and later for Firestone Tire & Rubber Company. In 1954 he was employed by the Midland National Bank where he became a Vice President. In 1970 he joined the Hamilton National Bank as Executive Vice President and later became President, Chairman of the Board, and Chairman of the Board Emeritus. He retired in February, 1992. He was also a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at SMU, Dallas, and of the American Institute of Banking with a major in Investments.
Bill was an active and dedicated community member wherever he lived. In Midland he served as President of the Civitan Club, Chairman of the Administrative Board at St. Luke’s Methodist Church, and spent many years as an adult leader of Troop 160 of the Boy Scouts of America. In Hamilton he was a fifty-two-year member of the First United Methodist Church, where he also sang in the choir for 35 years. In 2022 he was a charter member of Grace Methodist Church in Hamilton. He served as President of the Lion’s Club in 1973 and 1974, where he was a member for over fifty-four years. In addition, he was Chairman of District 4 of the Texas Banker’s Association, the Series E Bond Chairman for Hamilton County, a member of the Hamilton Glider Pilots Association, the Hamilton Development Association, the Director of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, the Hamilton Senior Center Foundation, a member of the Hamilton Public Library, and an active member of the Hamilton Cemetery Board until his passing. Bill became an amateur radio operator (KC5DFV) in Midland and continued signaling all of the years he lived in Hamilton. Another of his passions was flying; he earned his private pilot’s license while in Hamilton and flew for many years thereafter.
Bill is survived by his three sons, Dr. Billy Harold (Hal) Jr. and his wife, Vicki Willimon Barkley, Dr. Robert Fergusson and his wife Dr. Sara Stone Barkley, and Todd Gene Barkley; four grandchildren, Brent Edward and his wife, Jamie Downs Barkley, Daniel Landon and his wife Ashley Queen Barkley, Rachel Anne Barkley, William Gregg Barkley (deceased), and Robert David Stone; great grandchildren, Asa Fergusson Menjivar, Eilan Landon Menjivar, Rhett Emerson Barkley, Archer Landon Barkley, and Cambri Kian Stone.
His family will forever remember him for his loving and generous nature; he was, indeed, the family patriarch. Our family would like to extend a gracious thank you to all of those doctors, nurses, and support staff at both Hamilton Hospital, Baylor Scott and White Hillcrest Hospital Waco, and Focused Care at Hamilton who cared for Bill over the past six weeks. Your kindness and skill will be remembered.
Memorials may be made to Hamilton Healthcare System, 400 N. Brown St. Hamilton, TX, 76531; the Hamilton Public Library, 201 N. Pecan St., 76531; or the Hamilton Community Center, 110 E. Main, Hamilton, Tx., 76531.
Burial is to be in I00F Cemetery, Hamilton, with Riley Funeral Home, Hamilton, in charge of arrangements.
