William Frank Imre

Mr. William Frank “Bill” Imre (89), born on March 8, 1928 and passed away peacefully on June 17, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. Bill is survived by his wife, Margaret, his children William (Laura), Thomas (Susan), Ronald (Lisa), and Nancy, and his grandchildren Stephanie (Aaron), Christopher (Amy) and Alexandra.

Bill was a first-generation American who through great perseverance, hard work and ingenuity was able to live what many would refer to as the American Dream. He grew up on the south side of Chicago, served in the US Army in the Korean War, married the love of his life in 1954, moved to Milan Tennessee with ITT in 1962, and became an active member of the community. Bill truly “put his heart in Milan.”

He organized Little League farm teams, led the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, assisted in developing the City Park, worked with the Band parents, and along the line created a pretty tasty pizza! Yes, Bill was a self-made man of action and, following his entrepreneurial spirit, he opened Imre’s Pizza Parlor in 1974 as a part-time pursuit and operated it for 26 years… simply because he enjoyed it! But most importantly, Bill really loved his family and connecting with people, and he rarely met anyone with whom he couldn’t strike up a conversation. And as a big sports fan, he was especially thrilled his Chicago Cubs won the World Series last fall!

Through the years, Bill was also a fan of the three-part Scout oath… duty to God and country, duty to others, and duty to self, which he quoted often to his family, along with his favorite bible verse, Matthew 7:7- “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Bill will be dearly missed, but the many lives he has positively touched and fond memories he has left behind will be cherished by all who knew him.

Services will be held at the Catholic Church of the Incarnation in Collierville, Tennessee on July 3, 2017 with visitation at 9:00 a.m., funeral mass at 10:00 a.m., and reception in the Fellowship Hall at 11:00 a.m., followed by a military burial rite at 1:15 p.m. at the West Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery in Memphis.