Dr. William "Bill" H. Espey Jr.

Bill was born in Raleigh, North Carolina on September 4, 1937, to William H. “Red” Espey and Jessie Marie Upchurch. After Red’s career with the FBI ended, the family, including Bill’s adored younger brother, Bob, moved from the Washington, D.C. area and settled in Dallas where Red worked as an engineer manufacturing Corsair jets. Bill’s sense of duty, even at a young age, led him to join his high school Army ROTC program. His ability as a guard on the football field helped his South Oak Cliff Golden Bears win the Dallas city championship in 1955.

Bill turned down a football scholarship at TCU because at the time they did not offer a degree in his planned field of study, engineering. Instead, he was a walk-on at the University of Texas and played on the freshman football team. Bill joked that the team was so bad they forced a coaching change, and the Darrell K. Royal era began. Although an injury ended his football career early, Bill succeeded in the study of civil engineering under his esteemed lifelong mentor, Dr. Ernest F. Gloyna, earning his B.S, M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in civil engineering from 1960 to 1965.

On July 8, 1960, Bill married Helen Joan “JoAnn” Barnes at First Baptist Dallas, his high school sweetheart and younger sister of Bill’s best friend, Jim Barnes. Their 63-year marriage was the bedrock of his life and gave Bill the family he cherished. JoAnn promoted and contributed to Bill’s career from the early days of assisting with water flow field measurements and adding her exacting administrative skills to Bill’s early businesses to the later years where she charmed business associates with her hospitality, quick wit and sense of humor.

Bill began his professional career working for the U.S Geological Survey Water Resources Division and Tracor before co-founding Espey Huston & Associates (EH&A) in 1972. Under the leadership of Bill and his long-time friend and partner, Bob Huston, EH&A grew to become a comprehensive engineering firm employing more than 1,000 people in offices across the country and internationally. The economic bust brought on by the savings and loan crisis of the mid ‘80s forced the sale of EH&A in 1989. At age 52 Bill then started over. In 1995, he founded Espey Consultants, Inc. (EC) with three employees. After growing EC to become one of the premier surface water focused civil engineering firms in the country, Bill sold the company in 2011. After fulfilling his obligations under the purchase in 2017, instead of retirement, Bill started a new job at 80 as a project consultant with LJA Engineering before finally retiring in 2022.

The awards and accomplishments Bill earned during his 58-year professional career as a researcher, consultant, educator teaching classes at The University of Texas, and mentor are far too numerous to list. One major highlight is the Urban Unit Hydrograph methodology developed as an outgrowth from his Ph.D. dissertation which still bears his name and is included in textbooks and the “Civil Engineering Reference Manual” for the PE Exam. Bill was instrumental in founding the American Society of Civil Engineer’s Environmental and Water Resources Institute and was a founding member of the American Academy of Water Resource Engineers. In 1980 Bill was named the chairperson of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) First Technical Committee Review of Diversion Flow of Lake Michigan. Bill went on to hold this position through seven more committee appointments spanning 40 years. In 1986, Bill was honored as a Distinguished Graduate of the College of Engineering at the University of Texas. Bill was recognized by the governor of Louisiana for his work with the USACE on post Katrina projects in New Orleans. In 2009, Bill was named Engineer of the Year by The Texas Society of Professional Engineers. Despite his countless awards and accomplishments, what Bill treasured most about his career were the relationships he nurtured with co-workers, clients and developing two generations of young engineers.

Notwithstanding his innumerable professional accomplishments, Bill treasured his family above everything. Even with weekly travel for work, he rushed home to attend every sporting event his children participated in and was an active leader of his son’s YMCA Indian Guides tribe. His large shoulder mounted VCR camera was legendary at his son Rick’s high school basketball games and his daughters’, Patricia and Carey, softball games. When Patricia and Carey aged out of the girls’ softball league in Austin, Bill and JoAnn underwrote a new senior league so their daughters could continue to play. As his children married, he welcomed their spouses and their families into his circle. He cherished his role as Grandaddy to his eight grandchildren and attended hundreds of soccer, baseball, lacrosse, football, softball and basketball games and dance recitals and cheer competitions across the state. He facilitated amazing family vacations to Hawaii, The Mediterranean and The Bahamas despite the fact he didn’t like the beach. He also sponsored countless family ski trips when his favorite thing about skiing was “après ski”! His idea of heaven was enjoying a glass of wine on the porch of his home in Angel Fire, New Mexico with kids and grandchildren clamoring around. The more family members the better.

In the 1970s, Bill began officiating Austin middle school football games to make money for Christmas gifts for his young family. As the years went on, he was promoted to high school games and was frequently requested on key area championship game officiating teams. He officiated for more than 20 years, long after the need to fund Christmas passed. He loved the game of football and the camaraderie of the officiating teams comprised of men from all walks of life. An enthusiastic, lifelong Texas Longhorn fan, Bill had season football and baseball tickets for decades. In recent years he has treasured attending Texas baseball games with his daughter, Patricia, and her husband Brian.

Bill is survived by his wife JoAnn, son Rick Espey (Nancy) of San Antonio, daughter Patricia Loyd (Brian) of Georgetown, daughter Carey Twombly, (James) of Cedar Park, grandchildren David Espey (Taylor D’Andrea) of Santa Monica, CA, Kara Espey Osburn (Levi) of Austin, Chris Twombly (Ashley) of Lubbock, Nick Twombly of Austin, Daniel Espey of Waring, TX, Patrick Twombly of Lubbock, and Ashley and Abby Rivas of Lubbock, great-grandchild Malcolm Osburn, sister in law, Sandy Espey of Houston and adored nieces and nephews and cousins.

A celebration of Bill’s life will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at Hyde Park Baptist Church, 3901 Speedway, Austin, which was Bill and JoAnn’s home church for more than 65 years, Pastor Danny Bevins officiating. A viewing will begin at 10:00 a.m. followed by the service at 11:00 a.m. A reception will be held in Fellowship Hall following the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the W. H. Espey Memorial Endowed Presidential Scholarship for Civil Engineers in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin Cockrell School of Engineering or a charity of your choice.

Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death. John 8:51