William Jackson Wills

Will was born on May 1, 1942, in Los Angeles, California to Chill and Betty Wills. He grew up in Encino Hills, California, graduating in 1960 from Reseda High School, where he was an all-metro L.A. basketball player and swimmer.

A chance visit to Brackettville, Texas, near San Antonio where his dad was filming “The Alamo” changed his life. He made a side trip to Austin in Chill’s 1959 Ford Thunderbird instead of going back to L.A. to return the new car. He never left Texas, giving up surfing to become a Longhorn.

Will attended the University of Texas at Austin, earning a Bachelor’s Degree and also meeting the love of his life, Lugay.

They married in June of 1965 and moved to Lugay’s hometown of Dallas. They raised their family in the Park Cities and Austin before moving back to Dallas for good.

Will enjoyed his family and his friends and never missed a Sigma Nu reunion. The family spent Thanksgivings deer hunting at Lugay’s father’s ranch in Junction. They spent many summers fishing the rivers and creeks of Gunnison and Crested Butte, Colorado. He taught his sons how to throw a slider, how to swing a golf club and he iced over their driveway when it was cold enough to play hockey.

Then along came along the second love of his life, daughter Tracy in 1979, and his life changed again. He became a girl dad, walking Tracy to the nearest track every day after school, rake in hand, to teach her how to long jump. She won her first meet. Life for Will and Lugay became all about Tracy’s soccer games and cross country and track meets before she died in 1995.

Will was a master fly fisherman, a gourmet cook, an avid reader who wrote down every book he read on index cards and a collector of stamps, coins and trains. He coached youth soccer for more than a decade and impacted the lives of many. He was a lifetime Longhorn and loved Texas football. He loved football so much that he covered high school football games for The Dallas Morning News.

Will is preceded in death by his daughter, Tracy. He is survived by his wife of 56 years Lugay, his 3 sons Todd, Robert and his wife Louise, Jeff and his wife Shelby and 10 grandchildren.

Memorial service will be at 3 p.m., Thursday, May 12, 2022, at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home in Dallas. A private graveside service is schedule.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Sparkman-Hillcrest.com for the Wills family.