William Arnold McDade

William A. “Bill” McDade, a longtime commercial real estate broker in Houston, Texas; devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, friend and mentor, passed away on September 28, 2026 at the age of 91.

Bill was the son of Ross Elias McDade, Jr. and Maybelle Williams McDade in Shreveport, Louisiana, the third of four siblings, two brothers and one sister. Bill moved over 30 times in his life attending five high schools, and graduated from Wharton High School. After serving in the Army for two years, he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin using the GI bill. He was a proud member of the Tau Chapter of Kappa Sigma fraternity, where he made lifelong friends.

Bill’s life and career were deeply intertwined with the city he loved. He received his Real Estate Broker’s License from the Texas Real Estate Commission in 1959 and went on to build a career spanning more than six decades. Known throughout Houston’s commercial real estate community for his knowledge, persistence, honesty, and straightforward manner, Bill became one of Houston’s most respected land brokers.

Bill recognized that his greatest accomplishments could not be measured in the dollar value of the transactions he brokered. He often said the highlight of his career was making lifelong friends of his clients, fellow brokers, attorneys and others in the business — friendships built on what he called “fair play”.

Bill’s career began in mortgage and commercial banking before he devoted himself fully to real estate. He brokered hundreds of transactions involving land, office, and industrial properties and worked with many of Houston’s prominent companies, developers, investors, and school districts. He was particularly known for his ability to see possibilities in land and to bring people and opportunities together that others might overlook.

His professional accomplishments were numerous. In 1998, he was honored as the Houston Association of Realtors’ Commercial Professional of the Year, and in 2008 he was inducted by his peers into the Houston Business Journal’s Heavy Hitters Hall of Fame. He was also recognized repeatedly as a top producer in Houston commercial real estate throughout his career. In 2017 he was awarded Realtor Emeritus by HAR/NAR for holding membership for a cumulative period of 40 years.

Bill loved the business of real estate — the people, the deals, the challenges and the possibilities. Even late in his career, he remained eager to learn, work, and share what he knew with the next generation.

Two of his daughters, Tricia and Kristen, eventually joined him in the business. Bill took tremendous pride in working alongside them. Working together every day brought them not only professional success but also an especially close relationship. His daughters remembered the experience as an extraordinary opportunity to learn from their father and, more importantly, to spend their days with him. His daughter Michelle shared Bill’s joy for all things outdoors, growing up they would wake up with the sun for the best crabbing and fishing on holidays in Galveston.

Bill always took the time to meet with young graduates wanting to enter the real estate business. He would spend hours answering their questions and offering guidance. He encouraged young people entering real estate to work hard, develop a specialty, become involved in their community and, above all, tell the truth. One of his favorite pieces of advice was simple: “Read the newspaper every day”. He believed there was always an opportunity to be found by someone who was paying attention.

His daughter Kristen recalled that her father believed that a person could never get into trouble by telling the truth — a principle he lived by throughout his life.

Bill’s greatest love was his wife, Sharon, whom he was passionately devoted to for over 61 years. Together they shared a special love for their farm in Bellville, where they enjoyed spending weekends together, and upon his retirement, most of their time.

At the “Family Farm”, Bill could be found fishing beside the little bass pond, designing and tending the garden, working in the barn, repairing something that probably did not need repairing, shooting baskets or hitting golf balls. He enjoyed raising and bringing the most beautiful orchids to bloom in his greenhouse. He loved having something to fix and could turn a simple repair into an entire afternoon of farm activities. Every evening at dusk, Bill and his “bride” met on the porch to enjoy icy champagne, watch deer, hummingbirds and the wildlife.

Bill inherited a love of golf from his father and carried that same enthusiasm for the game throughout his own life and hosted over 50 golf tournaments for Real Estate Professionals, which was highly anticipated by many of his peers.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents, Ross Elias McDade Jr., and Maybelle Williams McDade and his siblings, Ross E. McDade III, Thomas R. McDade and Betty Marie McDade.

Bill is survived by his beloved wife, Sharon; daughters, Tricia Pogue, Michelle Poole and husband Michael, and Kristen McDade; his six grandchildren, Marcus Mueller, Ross Jefferies, and wife Marisol, Hunter Jefferies and wife Amber, Kristina Lundgren and husband Andrew, Shelby Vasquez and wife Brittany, and Josie Chamness and partner Daley Beard. He is also survived by 15 great-grandchildren, and many wonderful friends, extended family members, and colleagues whose lives he touched over the years.

Bill leaves behind a legacy that reaches far beyond the buildings, properties, and transactions that marked his professional life. He leaves the lessons he taught, the friendships he treasured, the family he loved and the example he set through a lifetime of hard work, integrity, perseverance, and generosity.

Those who had the privilege of knowing Bill will remember that long after the deals are forgotten, it was the relationships that mattered most.

Sharon and the family wishes to express our deepest gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to the entire Silverado family. We are profoundly grateful to the caregivers, nurses, chefs, housekeeping staff, valet, physical therapy providers, and every member of the Silverado Memory Care team who touched Bill’s life with compassion, dignity, and kindness. Your dedication, loving care, and unwavering support brought comfort and peace to our loved one and to our family throughout this journey. Each of you played an important part in providing not only exceptional care, but also warmth, dignity, and a sense of home. Please know that your kindness and devotion will remain in our hearts and will always be remembered with our sincerest gratitude.

We also extend that same heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the caregivers of Arosa Care, whose time, tenderness, and dignity with which you cared for him, and your kindness will always be remembered with sincere appreciation.

A Memorial Service will be held Friday, October 23, 2026 at 5:00 pm at Memorial Oaks Cemetery, 13001 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77079. For those unable to attend, livestream coverage will be available with the following link

https://vimeo.com/event/6239253

Private Burial for immediate family to be held separately.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Shriner’s Children’s at www.donate.shrinerschildrens.org or Silverado Memory Care “Christmas Fund” (an annual fund for the caregivers) 5600 Chenevert, Houston, TX 77004.