| Bill D's Page |
September 18, 2008, I had a great talk with Bill D., who is living "the good life"
in Temple after a fine career in the U.S. Army.
Bill was born in Holland, Texas, and spent his early years on a farm. His family
moved to Alvin, Texas, where he attended elementary school. He came to
Belton Junior High the last week of 7th grade.
Right after high school, he went to work at Rockwool. You'll probably
remember that Rockwool made insulation. Bill says that after one day's work
there, he was covered with the stickery stuff, and determined that he'd be
better off in Uncle Sam's army. He now says that making that decision---as well
as asking Paula to marry him---were the best decisions he ever made.
He did his basic training at Fort Hood, where his weight went from 130 to 170
pounds---and probably a lot of that was muscle! His army career took him to
several places in the U.S., as well as Manila, Philippines; Pleiku, Vietnam; and
West Berlin, Germany. While working in intelligence at Fort Meade, Maryland,
he attended the University of Maryland and lacked only six hours getting a
degree. Finishing the degree and becoming an officer would have resulted in
a pay decrease, so he stuck with his more lucrative enlisted status.
Upon retiring from the service, Bill went to Collier Electric to work on
main-frame computers, then to McLane, where he headed up their financial
computer systems. He retired from McLane in 2006.
Back in 1968 while he was stationed at Arlington Hall, Virginia, he met Paula, a
"Down-Easter" (from Maine), and quickly snatched her up to be his wife. This
month they celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary. They had three
children along the way, two daughters and a son. One daughter is a CPA
married to a pilot in Dallas; no kids. The other lives next door in Temple, has
two children (another on the way), and her own day-care business. Their
unmarried son, who was a tennis pro for a while, lives in Temple and now
works for a boat company.
Bill has always enjoyed sports---running, tennis, basketball, bowling, and
softball. He played Senior Olympic softball until he was 60, and he and his wife
bowled together until she suffered some health problems. She is getting her
muscle tone back through physical therapy. Bill is now 6 feet tall and weighs
156; says he's in very good health.
It will be so good to see him and meet Paula at our 50th in 2010. They will be
there!
in Temple after a fine career in the U.S. Army.
Bill was born in Holland, Texas, and spent his early years on a farm. His family
moved to Alvin, Texas, where he attended elementary school. He came to
Belton Junior High the last week of 7th grade.
Right after high school, he went to work at Rockwool. You'll probably
remember that Rockwool made insulation. Bill says that after one day's work
there, he was covered with the stickery stuff, and determined that he'd be
better off in Uncle Sam's army. He now says that making that decision---as well
as asking Paula to marry him---were the best decisions he ever made.
He did his basic training at Fort Hood, where his weight went from 130 to 170
pounds---and probably a lot of that was muscle! His army career took him to
several places in the U.S., as well as Manila, Philippines; Pleiku, Vietnam; and
West Berlin, Germany. While working in intelligence at Fort Meade, Maryland,
he attended the University of Maryland and lacked only six hours getting a
degree. Finishing the degree and becoming an officer would have resulted in
a pay decrease, so he stuck with his more lucrative enlisted status.
Upon retiring from the service, Bill went to Collier Electric to work on
main-frame computers, then to McLane, where he headed up their financial
computer systems. He retired from McLane in 2006.
Back in 1968 while he was stationed at Arlington Hall, Virginia, he met Paula, a
"Down-Easter" (from Maine), and quickly snatched her up to be his wife. This
month they celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary. They had three
children along the way, two daughters and a son. One daughter is a CPA
married to a pilot in Dallas; no kids. The other lives next door in Temple, has
two children (another on the way), and her own day-care business. Their
unmarried son, who was a tennis pro for a while, lives in Temple and now
works for a boat company.
Bill has always enjoyed sports---running, tennis, basketball, bowling, and
softball. He played Senior Olympic softball until he was 60, and he and his wife
bowled together until she suffered some health problems. She is getting her
muscle tone back through physical therapy. Bill is now 6 feet tall and weighs
156; says he's in very good health.
It will be so good to see him and meet Paula at our 50th in 2010. They will be
there!
Check out Bill's fond memories of Ray Bell.
| Bill in 1960 annual. Current photos are on the way! |