William Wood Speer Jr.

Another of the Greatest Generation has fallen as William W. (Bill) Speer, Jr. died peacefully with his daughter at his side on November 2, 2014. He loved life and lived for his family and his fellow man. He touched the lives of many with his generous spirit and left a legacy of discipline, strong work ethic, service to others and a gift for storytelling.

A lifelong resident of Premont, Bill was born on November 17, 1918 to William Wood and Mary Rosalind Disbro Speer. He graduated from Premont High School in 1936 and enlisted in the U. S. Navy in October 1940. For six years, he saw action in the South Pacific aboard the USS Wisconsin and USS Portland as Turret Captain First Class, and the USS Missouri.

Bill married his high school sweetheart Mary Alice Langen in 1945; they returned to Premont in 1946 and he worked for a short time building the gas plant north of Premont. In October 1947, he started working as a postal clerk for the Premont Post Office, dispensing free advice along with stamps, and also tended his own farm and served as part-time foreman for a ranch. Upon retiring from USPS in 1972, he began another career doing custom combine grain harvesting, along with harvesting and selling buffel grass seed.

Bill was a founding member of First Presbyterian Church in Premont in 1949, where he served as deacon, ruling elder and Sunday School teacher for over 40 years, demonstrating for his children what it means to serve Jesus Christ. He served on the Boards of Directors for Conner Museum at TAMU-Kingsville, Jim Wells County Farm Bureau and Premont Cemetery Association, the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He also served in various capacities in several organizations supporting youth. He encouraged and quietly assisted local youths to further their education.

Bill enjoyed his beekeeping hobby for almost 60 years and with his son, Woody, harvested thousands of gallons of honey and provided pollination services to local watermelon farmers. He also enjoyed harvesting pecans from his many pecan trees. He loved the land and wildlife around Premont, especially his farm west of Premont, and participated several years in an experimental project to raise and introduce exotic game birds into South Texas.

Bill is survived by his four children and their spouses: daughters, Janice Pennie Lange and husband Ron of Huntsville, Margaret Rosalind Ball and husband Chester of Dallas, Patricia Mary (Trisha) Pollard and husband Randy of Bellaire, son, William Wood (Woody) III and wife Marty of Houston, and nine grandchildren: Pennie Lange Barnert, Lieutenant Commander Victor Lange (USN), Richard Ball, Elizabeth Ball Amaroufi, Matthew Pollard, Jennifer (Jenny) Pollard, Jonathan Pollard, William (Will) Wood Speer IV, Amy Speer and six great-grandchildren. All five of his grandsons achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 41 years, Mary Alice Langen Speer, his second wife Julia Carolyn Urian Speer, his brothers Louis Earl Speer and Russell Marchant Speer, and his sister Doris Adele Speer Self.

Visitation will be held at the Howard-Williams Funeral Home in Falfurrias from 5-8pm on Friday, November 14. A Memorial Service will be at 2pm on Saturday, November 15 at the First Presbyterian Church in Falfurrias. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Presbyterian Pan American School, P.O. Box 1578, Kingsville TX 78364.