William Leroy Graves

William Leroy Graves, age 89, passed away on October 17, 2023 in Plano, Texas, after an extended period of hospitalization and nursing care. He was born on December 5, 1933, in Ewing, Missouri to Virgil O. and Pauline J. (Olinger) Graves.

Bill (as he was known to his friends) was raised in Ewing and Philadelphia, MO, and graduated from Marion County HS in Philadelphia in 1951. He attended Hannibal-LaGrange College in Hannibal, MO from 1951-53 as well as the University of Missouri in Columbia. He received his AA degree from Ohlone College in Fremont, California in 1971.

Bill enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served during the years 1953-1955, being stationed in Southern California the entire time. He rose to the rank of sergeant by the time he was honorably discharged.

He then moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where he worked at the Alameda Naval Air Station as a personnel classification clerk. It was there that he met his future wife, Delores Frances Racki, who had moved to the Bay Area from Joliet, Illinois. They were married in Reno, Nevada on April 16, 1955, and remained married until Delores passed away in 2007 at the age of 72. They were married for 52 years.

He worked at Thorsen Tool Company in Emeryville, CA from 1956 until 1986, rising to the position of VP of Manufacturing, after it had fully moved its operations to Dallas in 1973. After Thorsen Tool closed, he held several manufacturing jobs at other companies, eventually forming his own consulting business. His last job was with Techicut and then Perfect Technology Corporation, first in Carrollton and later in Red Oak. He worked there until his wife passed away and retired at the age of 75.

Toward the end of his life, he became active in his church, the Korean War Veterans Association, and had many friends in both communities. He struggled with dementia at the end of his life which increasingly curtailed his activities until his death.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Delores, his brothers Paul and Verne, and his parents.

At the time of his passing, he was survived by his two sons, Alan and Jeffrey, who both lived near him, and his youngest brother Donald "Bob" Graves, who resides in Shelbina, Mo with his wife Lois. He lived a rich and full life and was a world traveler to Europe and Asia in connection with his work at Thorsen. All who knew him well found him to be a careful and caring man who was concerned for the welfare of his family and friends.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.teddickeywestfuneral.com for the Graves family.