He was born in Childress, Texas on December 28, 1923 to Hattie Pearl Blake and Ernest Melton Lyde. Bill grew up working on his father’s cotton farm. He played football while attending Childress High School. At eighteen, he served in World War II as a Sergeant in the Army Signal Corps.
He married Dehrabelle Jean Belfort on August 31, 1946 in Fort Collins, Colorado. They were married for 34 years and had eight children.
Bill’s first job, after the war, was as a surveyor’s assistant. Later, he went into auto insurance. After learning the insurance business, he founded the Lyde Insurance Agency and later established American Hallmark Insurance Company. He sold his company in 1991 but continued to mentor aspiring insurance professionals.
Bill enjoyed the company of family and friends, often hosting get-togethers in his home in Coppell, Texas. His favorite things to do was to travel, read, and play dominoes.
Bill is preceded in death by his ex-wives Dehrabelle Belfort and Katherine Lu Moliner; son Thomas Ray; parents Hattie Pearl and Ernest Melton Lyde; siblings Bertha Jewel (Nolan Trantham), Blake Melton (Ruth Nell Burk), Noble Alton (Winona Bomar), Julia Alene (Avril Winifred Covey), Betty Jean (Henry "Shorty" McGaugh); son-in-law Anthony McCurdy; granddaughter Jennifer McCurdy and her husband Patrick McCarrell.
Bill is survived by his ex-wife Judy Jackson; sons David Belfort (Toshiko Chiba) and Paul (Carolyn Bryant); daughters Carol McCurdy, Patricia (John Osborn), Debra (Wayne Gerber), Doris (James Gordon), Billie Lyde; grandchildren Mari, Hideyuki, Miyuki (Daiko Hachiya) Belfort, Scott (Amanda) McCurdy, Rebecca Osborn (Joshua Frymark), Christina Osborn, Robert Osborn (Kimberly Bittner), Stephen Gerber, Nathan Gerber (Dorina Bugledits), Stuart Gordon, James Lyde (Holly McDaniel), Elizabeth Lyde (Roy Urqhart), Claire Pittman (Colin Campbell), Ryan and Casey Pittman; great-grandchildren Caitlin McCarrell (Connor Johnson), Caroline, Tanner and Tucker McCarrell, Tyler and Zachary McCurdy, Austin and Emma Osborn, Alistair Pittman-Campbell.
Bill will be remembered for his dedication to family, contribution to the insurance industry, and spirit of travel. He leaves behind a legacy of love, resilience, and the importance of community. He will be missed by all who knew him.
The family invites you to join in celebrating the life of Bill. A Memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 am on July 11, 2025 at the North Chapel of Calvary Hill Cemetery, 3235 Lombardy Lane, Dallas, Texas 75220 with committal to follow in the mausoleum. A reception will be hosted at the family's residence, 2408 Beachview Drive, Flower Mound, Texas.
