William Gregory

William Leslie “Bill” Gregory, 82, of Dallas was born in Versailles, Kentucky on September 12, 1928 to Leslie Walker “Boots” Gregory and Lucy Mae Wilhoit Gregory. His father was a farmer and carpenter. His mother was a homemaker, drove a school bus route for many years, and loved to teach Sunday School and sing in area churches.

Bill and his younger brother, James Morris “Jim” Gregory, grew up in the small rural Kentucky community of Mortonsville in one of the earliest stone houses built in Kentucky. The house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Bill lived in Florida for a time as a young man and then joined the U.S. Navy. He enjoyed his training voyages at sea but did not see active military duty.

Bill married Flossie Baker on January 22, 1955 and established a readymade family with Flossie and her young daughter, Joyce Ramey, who Bill and his family welcomed and raised as their own.

Bill and Flossie lived in Lexington, Kentucky where Bill began his career in the electronics industry as manager of a television and radio parts store. Bill and Flossie’s son, William L. Gregory, Jr. (“Greg”) was born on February 16, 1956.

The family moved to Dallas in December of 1963 so that Bill could further his career by joining The Winegard Company as a Sales Engineer. His career flourished as he was named salesman of the year in 1965 and 1967 and achieved sales in excess of $1 million during many of his years with the company. Bill was promoted to district sales manager and then to regional sales manager prior to his retirement in 1982.

Bill and Flossie retired to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas where they lived until Greg and his wife, Cathy, gave them a granddaughter, Leslie Walker Gregory, on May 8, 1985. They then moved back to Dallas so they could be nearby to dote on Leslie and revel in her many achievements.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Leslie Walker Gregory and Lucy Mae Wilhoit Gregory, his wife, Flossie Baker Gregory, and son William Leslie Gregory, Jr.

He continued his life journey with his family and friends and the Forest Dale Apartment and Royal Haven Baptist Church communities until his death on September 18, 2010.

Bill is survived by his granddaughter, Leslie Walker Gregory of Dallas, brother, James Morris Gregory, of Illinois, and step-daughter and son-in-law, Joyce and Hal Bryan of Fairview, Texas.

Bill Gregory loved his God, his family, his friends and especially his granddaughter Leslie. He also really enjoyed The Dallas Cowboys and many dogs and birds along the way, as well as the pleasures of boating. But most of all, he had a lifelong passion for the relaxing sport of fishing. He pursued it from the creeks and rivers of Kentucky, to the shores and deep waters of Florida and the South Texas Gulf of Mexico, to the lakes of East Texas. The slogan of his favorite ball cap sums up his philosophy … “Life Is Simple. Eat. Sleep. Fish.”

He will be missed by all who loved him.

A memorial service followed by interment will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 29, at Calvary Hill Funeral Home, South Chapel, 3235 Lombardy Lane, Dallas, Texas.

Memorials may be made to Heart to Heart Hospice, 1500 Waters Ridge Drive, Suite 100, Lewisville, Texas 75057.