H. William Prengle

He served his country in World War II, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Army's 816th Engineer Battalion, participating in the Normandy Invasion, and receiving the Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster.

After service in the military, he completed advanced degrees M.S. and D.SC. in Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Institute of Technology now Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh and worked as a Senior Engineer at the Shell Oil Refinery in Deer Park, Texas.

He joined the fledgling Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Houston on a full time basis in 1952, served as its chairman from 1958 - 1961, and helped to build the department into a nationally recognized program.

Bill's teaching career at the university touched the lives of countless students, and spanned 47 years continuing into retirement as Professor Emeritus until 1997.

His technical contributions to the field are well represented by his several patents, and numerous publications.

Bill was also a dedicated member of his community, serving as chairman of the Charter Commission in Friendswood, Texas where he lived for 29 years, and to his church, St. Paul's Episcopal, Houston, Texas where he served multiple terms on the vestry,

He is preceded in death by a son, Karl William Prengle. Bill is survived by his wife of 63 years, Ruth Hamilton Prengle; daughter Pixie Koch and son-in-law Kenneth J. Koch, of San Antonio; son Scott Hamilton Prengle and daughter-in-law Michelle Prengle, of Dallas; and grandchildren Jennifer Ruth Sykes of San Antonio and Robert Hamilton Prengle of Dallas.