Mr. William H Trousdale

William Howard “Bill” Trousdale, 70, of North Little Rock, Ark., died Dec. 2, 2021, from complications of pancreatic cancer. He was born March 27, 1951, in Beaumont, Texas, to Ralph William Trousdale and Emogene Joyce (Martin) Trousdale and was a member of Citizen Potawatomi Nation.

As a military brat, Bill and his family moved many times during his childhood while his father served in the United States Air Force. During high school in Spokane, Wash., Bill attended Gonzaga Prep before transferring to the all-boys Bishop White Seminary preparatory high school. There he studied theology through the Gonzaga University system, and his experiences under the instruction of the Jesuit priests, teachers and professors had a great impact on his life and faith. Ultimately he graduated in 1969 from Medical Lake High School outside Fairchild Air Force Base. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force like his father and brother, Bill served from 1974-1978.

With a background in construction, he helped build the Murray Hydroelectric Power Plant along the Arkansas River as well as the Walmart Distribution Center in Searcy. After more than two decades at irrigation supplier Keeling Company, Bill retired in 2019. He loved the outdoors and going 4-wheeling, camping, and hunting with friends.

He was a passionate ambassador for the sport of disc golf, which he had been playing since 1980 (PDGA #2298). Bill was president of Arkansas Disc People and Course Pro at Burns Park Disc Golf Course for several years in the mid-1980s. As a liaison between disc golfers and North Little Rock Parks and Recreation, he was instrumental to the installation of the Red and Blue courses at Burns Park. Bill helped with the design and installation of multiple disc golf courses in central Arkansas, and he directed countless tournaments and clinics. For a decade, the annual Spencer Trousdale Memorial Tournament in honor of Bill’s son, who was killed in a car accident at the age of 19, helped to raise thousands of dollars for Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s Camp Sunshine.

On Dec. 28, 1974, he married the love of his life, Lesa Denise Brown. She was his precious, his heart, and his Gypsy Eyes. He would wax poetic about his love for her, writing the most romantic (i.e. sappy) notes and messages in his beautiful left-handed cursive.

He is survived and lovingly remembered by his wife, Lesa, and their daughter and son-in-law, Ashley and Jonathan Boothe of Fort Collins, Colo.; sister Linda Curtis of Tiburon, Calif.; brother and sister-in-law, Bennet and Diane Trousdale of Haughton, La.; and nieces and nephews, Nicole Trousdale, Charley (Kim) Brown, Larry Brown Jr., and Rachel Brown.

He was preceded in death by his son, William Spencer Trousdale, in 2005.

A Gathering of Friends and Family will be held from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm, Saturday, December 11, 2021 with a Celebration of Life for Bill beginning at 2:00 pm at Griffin Leggett Rest Hills Funeral Home, 7724 Landers Rd., North Little Rock, AR 72117.Casual attire suitable for playing disc golf is encouraged, and attendees are welcome to share memories about Bill when invited during the service.

Memorial contributions may be made to his daughter’s cherished passion, Animal Friends Alliance, Attn: Development, 2321 E. Mulberry St. #1, Fort Collins, CO 80524 or savinganimalstoday.org/donate