Bill was born at Barksdale Field, in Bossier, Louisiana on June 22, 1947, where his father was stationed. He and his family lived at various bases in Alabama, South Carolina, Texas and Germany, before returning to Shreveport, Louisiana in 1958. Bill earned a liberal arts degree from Louisiana Tech University (f/k/a Louisiana Polytechnic Institute) and graduated from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University with a Juris Doctorate degree. As a member of the Louisiana Bar Association, he practiced law in Shreveport, serving as the Caddo Parish Indigent Defender and the initial Director of the Central Legal Staff for the Second Circuit Court of Appeal, from which he retired in 2010. He was an active member and presenter with the Council of Staff Attorneys in Louisiana and with the American Bar Association.
Bill was happiest when surrounded by family and friends. He was a passionate practitioner of My Jhong Law Horn kung fu for 40 years and enjoyed teaching it to others. He revered it as martial discipline and an art form. An environmentalist, he bicycled to work for many years, gardened, collected and shared seeds, grew lotus blossoms in his pond/former pool at his Shreveport house, fished in his pond, and planted at his properties in Waskom, Texas. He pursued new passions, such as blacksmithing, and loved to explore through hiking. An avid reader, he reveled in sharing information and stories, whether experienced or acquired. He was a fervent photographer of people, activities, and places.
After he and Kembra married and his retirement in 2010, Bill moved to Georgia. He and Kembra spent time at their homes in Decatur and in Mountain Rest, South Carolina. He continued his gardening outreach at their house in Mountain Rest and at his field in Walhalla, South Carolina. He occasionally assisted Kembra with her legal practice, and especially enjoyed their trips to her office in Moultrie, Georgia.
Bill was an active member of the North Decatur Lions Club and recruited for Lions Clubs International membership in all available audiences. He embraced the opportunities that he and Kembra were presented during her tenure on the international board, interacting with everyone, other Lions but also future Lions.
At Bill’s request, please consider a donation to Lions Club International Foundation, 300 W. 22nd Street, Oak Brook, Illinois 60523; 630.571.5466;
www.lionsclubs.org/en/donate
; or to a charity of your choice. Plans for a Celebration of Life will be determined at a later date, and he will be memorialized through the community garden to be created at his field in Walhalla, South Carolina.
