William Kenneth Creasy

William Kenneth Creasy (Bill), age 90, of Santa Fe, Texas passed away peacefully on June 3, 2025, surrounded by family. He was born on August 12, 1934 in Burlington, NC. Bill is survived by his loving wife of 45 years, Susan Lamb Creasy, son John T. Creasy and daughters Cathy Wilson and husband Duane, Virginia Poché, brother John R. Creasy and wife Shirley, sister Sally Bridges and husband Don, granddaughters Katie Powell, Melissa Wilson Busby and Laura Wilson, grandsons Christian and Mitchell Poché, great granddaughters Lenora and Marilla Powell, and brother-in-law David Lamb and wife Nancy. He was also survived by nieces and nephews including Evelyn Lamb Chaika, Alan Lamb, Rachel Lamb Mazzucco, Roger Creasy, Kent Creasy, Eddie Creasy, Courtney Nicholson, Austin Bridges, Dawn Smith and Brian Baldwin. He was preceded in death by his parents Eldridge and Virginia Creasy, son Mark Andrew Creasy, and son-in-law, Leo Poché.

Bill lived a life marked by ingenuity, service, and devotion to both his work and his loved ones. Bill grew up on a farm in the small town of Gibsonville, North Carolina in a time that mules were used to plow the garden. He was proud of his heritage and always shared fond memories of his boyhood days. After earning a degree in engineering from North Carolina State University, Bill began his career at General Dynamics in Fort Worth, Texas, where he worked on the B-58 Hustler, the first operational supersonic bomber. He also completed a master’s degree in engineering from Southern Methodist University while working full time. His path then led him to the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center, later renamed the Johnson Space Center, in 1963 where he made significant contributions to the Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle and Space Station programs. He developed hardware, the Lunar Modular Equipment Transporter, which is still on the moon. He would often say that he had had his hands on hardware on the moon and then speculate whether the tires were still inflated. Among his proudest achievements was his work on the docking mechanism for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, a groundbreaking joint mission between the United States and the Soviet Union. He held management roles developing mechanisms and hardware for the Space Shuttle Program as well as the initial designs for the Space Station. Following his retirement from NASA in 1989, he continued his engineering project management career with Space Industries, designing and building the Wake Shield Facility which was flown on the Space Shuttle. This job included design, fabrication and deployment of the hardware with a team of dedicated young engineers who became like a family.

Bill loved airplanes and was an instrument rated pilot who enjoyed flying and maintaining his Cessna 182 on his 30 acre grass airstrip. He was a person who thought any job was achievable with hard work. He built the major porrtions of his house and hangar with his own hands, with help from his devoted wife Susan. He embodied the St. Francis of Assisi quote, "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." He enjoyed building things including cabinetry, restoring antique tractors and solving problems both big and small with characteristic creativity, humor, and care. His love and wonder for animals, particularly dogs including his faithful Max, was known by all who knew him, and his stories revealed his ability to “walk the walk” in the daily, quiet moments of the life in which he lived. He dearly loved his wife, Susan, and adored being with his daughters, Cathy and Ginny and sons, John and Mark, and all of his family. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great

grandfather who was full of stories of life that he loved to share. Bill’s life was defined by quiet brilliance, steadfast integrity, and enduring love for his family. He will be deeply missed.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17, at Forest Park East, 21620 Gulf Fwy, Webster, TX 77598 with Rev. Richard Rhoades officiating, followed by a reception from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM.