Willie Frank Honza was born March 29, 1932 to Willie and Mary Honza in Ennis, Texas. He was the oldest brother to five younger sisters. Willie graduated from St. John’s High School in 1950. Soon after, he attended a Czech dance where he met and fell in love with Lillian Havlik. Willie’s excellent dance moves proved to be the best of the night, of which Lillian took notice. Willie and Lillian married in 1952 in her hometown Kaufman, Texas, and later moved to Dallas where they raised three wonderful children: Willie Joe, JoAnn, and Bryan.
Before settling in Dallas, Willie joined the Army in 1953 and the family was stationed at Camp Carson in Colorado. After he was honorably discharged in 1955, Willie began his 40-year career with Texas Distributors selling HVAC equipment in Dallas. His strong and dependable work ethic awarded him with many professional accolades throughout his career. Willie and Lillian enjoyed traveling, and were able to experience memorable trips to Switzerland, Italy, and Germany as a couple.
A proud member of the Czech community, Willie was a lifelong fan of polka music (and dancing, of course). He enjoyed playing the trumpet in the Eric Honza Band for 35 years, and could often be found by the home stereo flipping through his polka CD collection. Willie’s kind smile and big bear hugs always provided a warm welcome at family get-togethers. He was a member of the Czech fraternal organization, KJT. He was also a chicken fried steak enthusiast, and a biscuits and gravy connoisseur.
Willie passed peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, March 11, 2021 in Dallas. Willie was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Mary. He is survived by his wife, four sisters, three children, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
A rosary will be held at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 3030 Gus Thomasson Rd, Dallas, Texas, on Monday, March 22, at 10am, and a memorial mass beginning at 10:30am. Please be prepared to wear a mask as required by the church.
Inurnment with Military Honors will be 12:30pm, Friday, April 9, 2021 at the Dallas/Ft Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, TX 75211. Those attending will gather by 12:15pm in lane #3.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Visually Impaired Preschool Services of Louisville, KY (VIPS Louisville) https://vips.org/donate/
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