Billy Lee Norville

Whatever he did, he did well, with perseverance and integrity. Billy Lee Norville lived a good life in his 94 years. He was a hard worker, a good cook, a great gardener, and an Aggie fan of the highest order. Born on May 17, 1931, at home near Caldwell in Burleson County, Bill died Wednesday, February 25, 2026 in Pasadena.

Starting work as a teenager, Bill milked cows for his uncle Robert Nix early in the mornings before going to school at Caldwell High School. That was just the beginning of a long life of work. He developed excellent skills packing watermelons in train cars before joining the Army Reserve and then enlisting in the Army to be stationed in Germany in an artillery unit. After the Army, Bill went to work at Shell Refinery as an operator, then working as a carpenter building houses when Shell workers were striking. When he worked at Olin in Pasadena and Beaumont, he began as an operator but became Personnel Manager, a position he later held at Kaiser Cement in San Antonio and Austin. His last job was Purchasing Director for the City of Pasadena.

Always busy, Bill was active in high school as a member of Future Farmers of America and an athlete, playing football, basketball and baseball, graduating in 1950. As an adult he had a wide variety of hobbies. He grew roses, danced to country music with Dorethea, and followed Aggie football. Later in life he became a beekeeper, harvested pecans and enjoyed sitting on the front porch of their home in Caldwell watching the deer. Aggie football took him to YouTube where he followed the team’s recruiting efforts and researched beekeeping. He loved fishing with his “Pard” Mac McDonald and cooking steaks and chicken. Sausage making was an annual affair. With all of that, he never missed any of his grandkids’ events. They were the source of great pride and joy.

He is survived by his wife Dorethea, to whom he was married 67 years; his son Lee Norville and his daughter and son-in-law Sarah and Mike Ludeke. Other survivors include his sister Reba Norville Park as well as grandsons Anthony and Michael Norville and Aden Ludeke. The family also includes bonus grandsons and their wives Travis and Paola Ludeke and Michael II and Stacy Ludeke and bonus granddaughter Alyson Ludeke, as well as great grands Emmaline Ludeke, Kayson Nava and Kaiser Ludeke.

He is predeceased by his parents Emma Hein and Anthony Wayne Norville, as well as his sister Verene Norville Burns, two brothers-in-law Donald Burns and Ronald Park, and his daughter-in-law Michelle Munsell Norville.