William Barrett Travis

It is with deep sadness that we announce the sudden passing of William Barrett Travis (“Bill Travis”) of Dallas, Texas, on July 11, 2026, at the age of 89. Bill was the third child of Dovie Dowd and John Preston Travis Jr.

He was born on November 20, 1936, in Dallas, Texas, and attended North Dallas High School. Bill was president of his senior class, graduating in 1954. Bill attended the University of Texas at Austin and was a proud ATO. He graduated in 1958 with a BS degree in Architectural Engineering. Upon his graduation, Bill married Jane Alice Mooney in June 1958. Bill and Jane celebrated their 68th Wedding Anniversary on June 21st. He worked as an engineer in Dallas while they started their family. Bill was accepted to the Harvard Business School and graduated with an MBA in Finance in 1962. He loved playing baseball and enjoyed bird hunting, deer hunting, and fishing. He obtained a pilot’s license with an instrument rating. Bill was a loving and dedicated family man to their four children and five grandchildren.

Bill Travis’ entrepreneurship began soon after returning to Dallas, where he founded his commercial maintenance company. He developed innovative methods to provide high-quality services. He focused on personalized service to expand into multiple states over the next 50 years. Bill loved to find people willing to work in his maintenance business. He structured the business so that people could excel and be promoted with a path to ownership.

He went into cattle ranching in 1972 with the same ingenuity and enthusiasm he devoted to Maintenance, Inc. & Subsidiaries. Using Simmental bulls from the R.A. Brown Ranch on his commercial cattle increased his production tremendously. Bill and Jane then spent the next four decades dedicated to breeding a unique line of Simbrah beef cattle, which he described as “the ultimate hot-weather cow.” Genetically refining their cattle by selecting for red coats, dark skin, polledness, and a blaze face, as well as other important production traits, Bill further refined his cattle, spending years analyzing ultrasound and feedlot testing data on the cattle to determine which bloodlines produce the best beef product most efficiently. Jane and Bill have enjoyed traveling the world promoting their cattle and selling their genetics. Bill had a passion for his cows and the cattle industry that couldn’t be beat! Jane and Diane will be carrying on his legacy.

Bill was an active member of his community and made many friends through his church and businesses. Bill was a longstanding member of Lake Highlands United Methodist Church and currently also attends Athens First Methodist, located near their ranch in Athens, Texas. In 1969, Bill became a founding member of the Royal Oaks Country Club. Bill and Jane’s community services focused on supporting the Dallas Council of the Arts, Dallas Children’s Theater, and mentoring teens and their families to show cattle. In 2017, Pine Ridge Ranch was given the Golden Book Award by the American Simmental Association. It can be said that Bill “never met a stranger”.

He is predeceased by his mother, Dovie Dowd “Bunnie” Travis, and father, John Preston Travis, Jr, his brother, John Preston Travis, III, his sister, Carolyn Travis Cleaveland, and brother-in-law Jack McRae Cleaveland, Sr.

Bill is survived by his wife, Jane M. Travis, his brother Michael Travis (Laura), his daughters Toby Travis, Karen Travis, and Diane Travis, his son Bryan Travis (Roya), his grandchildren Elizabeth (Zach) and Russell Jolly, Taylor and Evan Zachary, and Ariana Travis, along with numerous nieces and nephews.

All are invited to Bill Travis’ Memorial Services to celebrate his life at Lake Highlands United Methodist Church, located on 9015 Plano Road, Dallas, Texas, at 10:30 am on Monday, July 20, 2026, in the main sanctuary, followed by a reception in the Great Hall. There will be a casual visitation on Sunday, July 19, 2026, at the Royal Oaks Country Club from 3-5 p.m., located at 7915 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Dallas Children's Theater at [email protected].