William Craig Holford

William Craig Holford, 77, better known as Bill, passed away peacefully in Austin Friday, March 12, 2021, in the company of his three children. He was born Sept. 18, 1943, in Austin to Dallas and Marie Holford. He grew up in west Austin, attended Matthews Elementary School, O. Henry Junior High School, and graduated from Austin High School in 1961. He attended Texas Christian University, where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration.

He joined the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment as a first lieutenant in 1969-70, where he was awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device for heroism in ground combat. Upon returning from Vietnam, he joined the Texas Army National Guard, retiring more than 20 years later as a lieutenant colonel. He was proud to have served his country in Vietnam, and was active in the 11th Armored Cavalry’s Veterans of Vietnam & Cambodia. He regularly attended the organization’s reunions and enjoyed visiting with many of his former troopers and fellow officers.

In Austin, Bill was active in the community and believed it was better to give than to receive. He was one of the original volunteers with the Austin Aqua Festival in 1962, participating in every festival except the years he was on active duty with the U.S. Army. He served on Austin Aqua Festival’s board of directors and was president in 1982. He also served the community with the Lions Club, volunteering hundreds of hours during Friday night high school football games, and the Optimist Club of Austin, selling Christmas trees every December for years at the corner of Windsor Road and Exposition Boulevard. He put his knowledge and experience growing up in Austin to use as a member of the City of Austin’s Historical Landmark Commission. He was also a member of the Bachelors of Austin and the Admirals Club of Austin. He instilled his sense of community and service to his three children, whom he always included and encouraged to participate in his volunteer activities.

He had a rewarding and successful career in the savings and loan and banking industry. He was skilled at building relationships. He was an adept banker and lender who was devoted to listening to and understanding the needs of his clients, regardless of their net worth or size of their business. He treated everyone respectfully and equally.

Bill, his parents and his brother, Jack, were among the first parishioners of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Austin. He served as an acolyte and crucifer, and was active in many ministries at Good Shepherd, most notably the Good Ole Boys, who delighted in any opportunity to fire up the grill and barbecue for the flock.

When he suffered a stroke in 2006, he retired and moved to Bastrop, where he joined River Valley Christian Fellowship. He would regularly be found on Sunday mornings in the back pew, drinking highly sweetened coffee, joyfully visiting with his many friends, and tapping his cane to the rhythm of the contemporary Christian music.

Bill will be remembered most for his absolute love for life, devotion to his family and friends, wonderful sense of humor, booming voice, thunderous laugh, and radiant, ear-to-ear smile.

He is survived by his daughter, Laurie Curtin, her husband, Michael; son, William C. Holford, Jr., his wife Sylvia; daughter, Robin LeFrance, her husband, Kenneth; grandchildren, Lauren Ward, her husband, Blake, William Curtin, Matthew Curtin, Stephen LeFrance, Andrew Curtin, and Matthew LeFrance; great-grandson, Nolan Ward; brother, Jack Holford, his wife, Diana; former wife, Linda Littlefield; former, but always family, brother-in-law, Matthew F. Kreisle, III, his wife, Rita; sisters-in-law, Missy Brady, her husband, Dick; Nancy Higgins, her husband, Don; Rochelle Hull, her husband, George; nieces, Morgan Enderby, Claudia Kreisle, Carrie Reilly, and Dallas Holford; and nephew, Houston Holford. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dallas and Marie Holford; and his mother- and father-in-law, Margie and Dr. Matthew F. Kreisle, Jr.

There will be a memorial service Saturday, April 10, 2021 at 11 a.m., at River Valley Christian Fellowship, 1224 Highway 71 West, in Bastrop.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the 11th Armored Cavalry’s Veterans of Vietnam & Cambodia scholarship fund: 11th ACVVC, c/o Ollie Pickral, 571 Ditchley Rd., Kilmarnock, VA, 22482, www.11thcavnam.com; or Feed the Need Missions, feedtheneed.org/donate-now/, PO Box 1542, Bastrop, TX, 78602.