Bill Cecil Powell

He was a Potawatomi Citizen Band Native American, born in Maud, OK at the home of his grandparents on May 13, 1929 to Mr. and Mrs. William Jefferson Powell of Clovis, NM. He was the third of six children. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Marilou of Round Rock; son Marc (Karen) Powell of Georgetown, son John (Julie) Powell of Round Rock, daughter-in-law Marcia Powell of Austin, in addition to seven grandchildren: Missy (Russ) Cook, Daniel (fiancé Carrie) Powell, Katie (Cody) Sears, Jackson Powell, Jordan Powell, Joshua Powell, and PJ Powell, as well as 3 great-grandchildren: Riley Cook, Kace Cook, and Slate Sears. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Gaye Tenoso, and son, Gary Powell, as well as his parents and three sisters. He is also survived by his brother, Jerry Powell, of Shawnee, OK and sister, Carole Passmore of Carrollton.

He attended elementary and secondary school in Clovis, NM and graduated from Lubbock High School in 1947. He received a Bachelor of Architecture degree and a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Regular Army from Texas Tech University in June 1952.

He entered military service in August 1952 and served continuously until his retirement in 1978. He was stationed in Germany, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand. He commanded units sized from company to brigade and was Post Commander of Flak Kaserne in Augsburg, Germany, Vint Hill Farms Station in Virginia, and Ramasun Station in Udorn, Thailand. He received two Legion of Merit medals, two Meritorious Service medals, the Army Commendation medal, a Meritorious Unit Citation, the National Defense Service medal, the Army of Occupation medal, a Vietnam Service medal, the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry w/Palm, a Vietnam Campaign medal and the Legion of Merit.

In 1959, he was selected for in-service graduate schooling and attended the University of Florida, graduating in 1961 with degrees of Bachelor (with high honors) and Master of Science in Building Construction. He performed duties as Construction Engineer in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Okinawa, and the Philippines. He also served as Overseas Project Manager for two multi-service installations in Germany and Thailand. He was a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College, the Army Command Management School, and the Army War College.

In 1961, he was one of the first American covert army soldiers in Vietnam (3rd Radio Research Unit) with the mission to establish operations and infrastructure to verify the communist threat and convince President Diem of the need for U.S. Army intervention. He was most proud of receiving the ‘Travis Award’ in 1971 while stationed in Thailand for his cryptologic unit’s thwarting of an assassination attempt against a foreign leader, whose name and country he never revealed. He continued to excel with early promotions and retired as a Colonel. His last duty was as Commandant of the US Army Security Agency School at Ft. Devens, MA.

After military retirement in June 1978, he moved his family to Round Rock, TX. Having lived in 23 different sets of quarters during his 26-year military career, he was happy to settle into their final home where he could get on with the responsibility of caring for his family. He registered as a Texas architect and worked as Construction Contract Administrator with Ray Gill & Associates. In 1984, he helped form the firm of Gill, Spencer, Powell Architects – specializing in religious, civic, financial, educational, and industrial projects in the state of Texas. After retiring from his practice in 1987 he spent the remainder of his years pursuing his love of golf (almost daily), skiing, gardening, woodworking, building, grandfathering and pouring his time and energy into his expanding family. He was also an avid and talented artist and musician.

He was active in the First Baptist Church of Round Rock, where he served on the Building and Grounds Committee and was Chairman of the Family Life Center project. He was a longtime member of the Round Rock Noon Kiwanis Club, where he served as President. He was elected Kiwanian of the Year, Kiwanis Layperson of the Year and received the Hixson Medal. He served on the Texas Baptist Children’s Home Golf Marathon Committee, serving as Chairman of the 1995 Marathon. He also served for a period of time on the Round Rock Planning Review Board. He was past President of the National Military Intelligence Association and a former member of the American Institute of Architects and the Texas Society of Architects. He was a member of the Georgetown Country Club, serving on the Board of Governors and as President in 1986.

He always liked to be active, have fun, and had a great sense of humor, which he maintained to the end.

In later years, his typical response when being greeted was “If I was any better, I couldn’t stand myself!” Finally…he is better. He is fully restored and finally in the company of his Savior.

We would like to thank the staff of Poet’s Walk Round Rock for caring for Bill over the last 14 months.

Visitation will be held Sunday, November 1, 2020 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home, 14501 North Interstate 35, Pflugerville, TX. Funeral Services will be 2:00 p.m. Monday, November 2, 2020 at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home. Interment with military honors will immediately follow at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Cemetery. Please note there is limited seating capacity in the funeral home chapel and face masks are required due to current COVID restrictions.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to Texas Baptist Children’s Home, one of Bill’s favorite ministries.