William Bice

William Alvin (Bill) Bice 88, went home to his Heavenly Father on Saturday, November 21, 2020, in Lubbock. Visitation will be held on December 4, 2020 at 10:00 am at Southcrest Baptist Church, 3801 S. Loop 289, Lubbock, Texas. Celebration of Life Service will be held on December 4, 2020 at 11:00 am at Southcrest Baptist Church, 3801 S. Loop 289, Lubbock, Texas. Livestreaming of this service at southcrestlive.tv will be available. Interment will be at Resthaven Memorial Park, 5740 19th St., Lubbock, Texas.

Bill was born on October 1, 1932, in Brentwood, Tennessee to Jesse Alvin Bice and Ruby Frith Sawyer Bice. He attended Grassland Elementary from 1939 to 1947, Franklin High School from 1947 to 1949, and graduated from Bellevue High in 1951. After high school graduation, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1951 during the Korean War and served as an air traffic controller at Reese Air Force Base Lubbock, Texas. On February 12, 1955, Bill married Patsey Jobe in Wolfforth, Texas and upon completion of his military service, he continued his education at Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas and Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas with a major study in Industrial Mathematics.

In 1961, Bill began working as a Liaison Engineer responsible for all changes between other departments in manufacturing and engineering for Hancock Manufacturing Company. He was later promoted to Senior Design Engineer. After the company’s sale to Clark Equipment, he also held the position of Senior Design Engineer until the plant closed in 1981. As Senior Design Engineer, he was responsible for taking a concept of a machine and making the layout drawings, developing the structural, hydraulic, and electrical layouts. In 1979, Clark Corporation awarded Bill for two patents he received from the U.S. Patent Office for his work in engineering. After working as Vice-President and General Manager of Visioneering Inc. and Engineering Manager of EMCO Mfg. Corp, he later retired from Calvary Baptist Church in 1997 where he served as Building Supervisor. After retiring, Bill worked part time repairing small engines at Jan’s Parts.

Bill was a longtime member of Calvary Baptist Church, where he ministered as a deacon. He taught a boy’s Sunday School Class for many years and had a passion for Royal Ambassadors. He used his knowledge and interest in fishing, camping, and backpacking to educate boys and young men on how to survive and respect the outdoors. Sharing Christ through Bible memory and Baptist Missions were also important to Bill and he used these tools to lead boys into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and help them find a way to minister to others through mission projects. Bill continued to serve as an RA leader for 50 years before moving to Fellowship Baptist Church in 2010 where he continued to work with boys and men in Royal Ambassadors. From 1981 to 1991, he became the regional RA director for Texas Baptist Men, and in 1996, received the Legion of Honor award which is the highest recognition that Texas Baptist Men present to an RA leader. In July of 2015, while continuing to work in the RA program at Fellowship Church, Bill received a plaque in recognition of 60 years of service to the Royal Ambassador Program.

Hobbies for Bill were something he weaved into his lifestyle. Royal Ambassadors allowed him to enjoy fishing, hiking, camping, and backpacking while ministering to boys and men. After retirement, Bill retained his own shop as well as a part-time job working for Jan’s Parts where he was able to fulfill his interest in small engine repair.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, Robert Whitehurst, Leslie Sherman Bice, Erskine Bice, and three granddaughters.

Survivors include his sister, Mary Belle Lavender; his wife, Patsey Bice; daughter Melanie Todd and her husband, John, of Lubbock; son Perry Bice and his wife, Kathrine of Kansas; son Leslie Bice and his wife, Cynthia of Kansas; nine surviving grandchildren and eleven great-children.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Texas Baptist Disaster Relief at tbmtx.org or contact Texas Baptist Men at 5351 Catron Dr., Dallas, Tx 75227. (214-275-1100)

The family of Bill Bice would like to express our great love and appreciation to Adams Assisted Living Facility and to Hospice of the South Plains for their excellent care and love shown to Bill until he went to be with Jesus and his Heavenly Father.