William Nelson Strother

Obituary for William N. Strother William Nelson (Bill) Strother, 89, passed away on October 31, 2016, in Tyler. He was born August 3, 1927, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Bill joined the Navy at age 17 and trained as a combat air crewman during WWII. After the war, he enrolled in college, graduating from North Texas State in 1949, and from Baylor University in 1951 with a Masters Degree in education. Bill began his career in education in Meridian, Texas, where he taught from 1949 to 1952. He worked for Rocketdyne in McGregor from 1953 to 1958, after which he returned to teaching and assistant principal positions in Waco schools. He retired in 1987 from McLennan Community College, as Assistant Dean of Continuing Education, where he worked for thirteen years. Bill enjoyed many interests and hobbies in his lifetime including traveling, restoring early model automobiles, and woodworking. Volunteering was important to him and he served many hours with East Texas Medical Center, Good Samaritan Outreach Center, and the Salvation Army. He was the Chairman of the Board for the Educators Credit Union in Waco for thirty-three years. He lived in Tyler from 1999 until his death, and was a member of Green Acres Baptist Church where he could usually be found on the front row. The son of a Baptist preacher, Bill’s strong faith in Christ gave him great comfort and reassurance, especially during the last few months of his life. His friends and family will greatly miss his cheerful spirit and love of jokes, always looking for a way to make others laugh and feel happy. Survivors include his bride of 67 years, Mary Lou Strother; daughter, Kathy O’Neal and husband Bill of Tyler; son, Nelson Strother and wife Ronda of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; daughter, Valorie Hedrick and husband Jim of Tyler; sister, Virginia Wood of Comanche; seven grandchildren, Stephen O’Neal (Melissa), Zach O’Neal (Allison), Taylor Hedrick, Brad Hedrick, Sam Hedrick, Sam Strother and Emily Strother; and great-grand children, Macy O’ Neal, Liam O’Neal and Kyle O’Neal; several nieces, nephews, and many friends. Honorary pallbearers are the members of the Friendship Class at Green Acres Baptist Church. Memorial services will be held Saturday, November 19, 2016 at 2:00 PM at Stewart Family Funeral Home, Tyler. Visitation will follow the service.

William Nelson Strother

August 3, 1927 - October 31, 2016