William Thomas Sigman, Jr.

William “Bill” Thomas Sigman, Jr. passed away Friday, October 1, 2021. He is survived by his loving wife of 46 years, Guadalupe H. Sigman; his daughter, Gretchen Elizabeth Sigman Valudes (Jason); and his granddaughter, Rosalie Athena Valudes of Lititz, Pennsylvania. Bill will also be greatly missed by his sister, Carol Ann Sigman Mills (Randy) of Conyers, Georgia; his brother, David Patrick Sigman of Blairsville, Georgia; his nephew, Randall Steven Mills II of Greensboro, Georgia, and his niece, Caroline Elizabeth Mills of Conyers, Georgia. Bill is preceded in death by his parents, William Thomas Sigman, Sr., and Miriam Dell Stanley Sigman. Bill was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and had a wonderful childhood growing up in Conyers, Georgia with two loving parents who role-modeled strong work ethic, the importance of faith & strong family values, and filled their home with love. He very deeply loved his parents and continued to talk about his mother and father often long after they had passed. He also had an incredibly strong bond with both his brother, David, and sister, Carol, for his entire lifetime. He was incredibly loved by all of his family members. Bill was a kind soul, a gentle spirit, and you always felt calm and safe in his presence. He was kind, but also had a rascally sense of humor, and many people were able to enjoy his wit. His laugh was contagious and he sincerely loved making others chuckle with delight. Bill dedicated virtually his entire adult life to our country. He volunteered to enlist in the Vietnam War and went on to serve in the Army Reserves. As a Reserve Unit of the United States Army the 488th Military Intelligence Detachment (Strategic), they performed classified intelligence services for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Members of the 488th were tasked to do area studies on topics of interest by the DIA. Members of the unit were assigned to teams to work on these classified studies. Unit members maintained high level clearances in order to carry out studies that were published and made available to the intelligence community. Staff Sergeant (SSG) William Sigman’s work on classified studies was critical to the unit’s success. Bill obtained his juris doctorate after his undergraduate degree at Emory University. In the early 1990’s, he transitioned to a civilian position where he worked virtually his entire career commuting and working in Washington, D.C. for the Department of Defense; specifically, in the POW/MIA (Prisoner of War/Missing in Action) branch. It was challenging work, he said, but fulfilling. He worked up until his last day on this earth. He was 74 years old and still chugging quite well along at work. Bill had been saying he was going to retire since the age of 65. It was a running joke that family and friends all knew he wouldn’t follow through on his plans year after year. He loved being productive, challenging himself, and constantly learning. Bill was deeply adored by his esteemed colleagues. He was well-known in the agency, and due to his deep knowledge of the agency, inside and out, he was known as the “go-to man” throughout the course of his almost-30-years of employment for the Department of Defense. He was well-known at work for his uplifting, humble, kind, and helpful presence. Outside of his service and work, Bill was a bookworm; a voracious and avid reader. Bill always had his nose stuck in a book. He was always expanding and evolving in his knowledge. Bill was an avid collector of books his entire life, since the age of 14, of all areas of interest. To say he was fond of books is an understatement. He also had a way with writing — he could articulate anything beautifully on paper. In addition, in his spare time, he enjoyed spending time with his wife, taking weekend trips to various parts of Virginia and exploring his personal passion for history in those areas. He enjoyed both domestic and foreign history. He could tell you exact dates for all types of historical events off the top of his head, as well as detailed-information about that said event. Lastly, and above all, he mostly loved spending time and making many wonderful memories with his wife, one and only daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. He was a devoted husband of 46 years, father, brother, uncle, father-in-law, brother-in-law and, his most recent title that had him bursting with pride and joy: grandfather to his little grand baby girl, Rosalie. Bill never let his family down. He loved, provided, protected, and supported his family. You would not be able to find one person on this earth that would have anything disparaging to say about him. And, as his wife has always said, “He is the last of the Southern Gentlemen.” A private burial will follow at a later date in Conyers, Georgia at the Granade Family Cemetery. Bill's service may be viewed at https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/authorise.php?k=1633623052141176