William "Bill" J. Foley

Bill Foley, 68, of Arlington, Texas, passed away Saturday, April 28, 2012, after a long battle with leukemia. Visitation: Tuesday, May 1, 2012 at Moore Bowen Funeral Home, 4216 S. Bowen Road in Arlington from 6-8 PM. Funeral Mass: Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 5819 W. Pleasant Ridge Road in Arlington at 10:30 AM. In lieu of flowers, Bill's memory may be honored by your contribution to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Attn. Tributes & Memorial Gifts, 8111 LBJ Freeway, Suite 425, Dallas, TX 75251. Be sure to include a note indicating the gift is in honor of Bill Foley.

Bill was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on December 7, 1943. He moved to Dallas, Texas, when he was 14 years old. He met his wife, Phyllis, in Dallas and they were married on January 16, 1965.

After receiving his Master's Degree in geology from The University of Texas at Arlington, he was employed by Cities Service Oil and Gas and moved with his wife and first child, Kelly, to Houston, Texas, where his son, Patrick, was born. They moved to Arlington, Texas, two years later where Bill worked as a geologist for Hunt Oil Company in Dallas. Bill's third child, Megan, was born in Arlington shortly after the move to Arlington. After leaving Hunt Oil, Bill became a scenic carpenter. His carpentry talent extended to making special items for his grandchildren and for his home. This love of building things he shared with his daughter Megan and taught her much, not only about carpentry but also about home repairs and how to fix a car. There really was not much he could not fix, but he sure hated plumbing. Bill had a special place in his heart for all things Irish. One of his fondest memories was dancing with his daughter, Kelly, at the Rose of Tralee contest in Ireland. Bill became very involved with the North Texas Irish Festival. He was involved with the Festival in some capacity since about its second year, including being one of the directors in 1993 and 1994.

He also had a great interest in astronomy, quantum mechanics, mythology, philosophy and physics and enjoyed very much discussing these things with his son, Patrick, and with his good friend, Harold Rolle, while they solved the problems of the world in Harold's barn.

In the last ten year's of his life, Bill found a new love, his adopted daughter Skylar. It was a mutual love at first sight for both of them.

Bill is survived by his wife of 47 years, Phyllis; his children Kelly, Patrick, Megan and Skylar; his sisters, Shirley McVay of Arlington, TX, and Patricia Dorrian of Waukee, IA; five grand children - Quinn, Alyssa, Zoey, Ivy, and Ressie; several nieces and nephews.

Bill Foley and the North Texas Irish Festival

When Jim McVay asked if I could pull together some remembrances of Bill from the NTIF all I could think of was the way that he impacted the lives of so many of us through the years with his advice, guidance and, when deserved, criticism. So I collected together some of the thoughts that those people have put to paper.

Floyd Harris remembers Bill Foley when he was a Festival Director. Bill brought in such acts as Altan, Cherish the Ladies and The Trinity School of Irish Dance, groups that we all watch and enjoying to this day. No one was more passionate about the festival and the music than Bill Foley. “When Jim McVay became an Asst. Director Bill moved me up to Operations Coordinator. Both Bill and Jim taught me the operation of the festival and Bill provided the leadership that built the very foundation the festival rests on today. When Bill left as Director it was he that recommended me as an Asst. Director. During my time of operating the festival my biggest fear was to have Bill ever regret making the recommendation, I hope he never did and I hope I never let him down.”

Jim Stinson noted that many of the long time volunteers learned the ropes from Bill. “If you were to go back over the past 30 years of NTIF and SCMA history and made a list of the most important people ever, you would find Bill Foley at, or near, the very top of the list. He was respected by all. A constant worker for quality, he brought some of the best talent ever to grace our stages.”

Each generation of festival directors have put their mark on the legacy that they leave behind. Bill’s mark was quality and professionalism. Even after he stepped aside from the leadership role he was always there to offer support and guidance to the next generation. Whenever any of us needed a piece of advice or words of wisdom we knew who to talk to; Bill Foley. There was never a time he didn’t freely give it and we usually followed it since it was obviously the correct advice.

The North Texas Irish Festival is not just an annual event; it is a family of volunteers for a culture and tradition that means a great deal to us all. The NTIF has lost a revered and loved senior member of that family, and we all feel the pain of that loss.

Slán agus beannacht leat.