William Jackson Bogle

He was born in Briggsville, Arkansas on March 15, 1932, to Sybil Gustava (Gusty) & James Briggs Bogle. His childhood was set amongst the beauty and simplicity of rural Arkansas.

Bill graduated as the salutatorian from Fourche Valley High School in Yell County and enrolled at Arkansas Technical College. As he put it, he “didn’t take too much to college and finances were a problem,” so he decided to enter the United States Navy in 1951.

Upon graduation from radar school in San Francisco, Bill was assigned to the US submarine base in Hawaii and ended up aboard the USS Tiru (SS-416), a Guppy Snorkel Submarine. He spent the next four years in Japan, Korea, and Oʻahu and was honorably discharged in 1955.

After his military service, Bill returned to college and earned a BSE in electrical engineering from the University of Arkansas in three years.

One day in 1957, he called Margaret Lowe, his hometown neighbor, who was working as a student dietitian for the summer in Little Rock, and said he was coming to town and asked if he could visit her.

A few months later, they were engaged. Margaret had a year left on a two-year teaching contract, so she returned to Ohio to complete her teaching duties, and Bill finished his degree.

In June of 1958, they married and moved to Oklahoma City for Bill’s job with Oklahoma Natural Gas Company. The next summer, their first son, Mark, was born. The family lived in Oklahoma and then Texas, where they subsequently welcomed son Mike and daughter Laurie.

They spent 13 years in Flower Mound, where Bill was elected to three terms on the Lewisville school board, before they returned to Arkansas when Bill and Margaret both took jobs at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Bill spent the rest of his career there and retired as a Hospital Administrator.

Bill’s retirement was spent enjoying his family, and he was adored by them. Bill and Margaret moved to Highland Springs in Dallas in 2012 to be closer to family and to be with their daughter, Laurie, who passed away that year from breast cancer.

In the final two decades of his life, Bill devoted his energy to a significant endeavor known as the “Bogle LP Collection.” Collaborating closely with his wife, Margaret, and their son, Mike, he embarked on a dedicated and painstaking journey to meticulously catalog, digitally archive, and thoughtfully curate an impressive assemblage of over 75,000 songs spanning diverse genres. This remarkable collection predominantly stemmed from a multitude of vinyl records and CDs, standing as a testament to Bill's passion and commitment.

Bill, alongside Margaret, dedicated their time to the Musical Institute for Knowledge and Education (M.I.K.E.), a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization established in 2013. The core mission of the institute is to foster and motivate students of commercial music in composing, recording, and sharing their original creations. This objective is achieved through direct monetary scholarships granted to deserving students via a student peer evaluation system known as the D’Jammy Awards, a yearly event taking place in the Spring.

Anyone who knew Bill knew what a special person he was. While he was quite modest about his exceptional talents in these areas, Bill loved music, dancing, and writing, especially poetry. Bill’s positive and humorous outlook on life was infectious and surpassed only by his loving and kind nature. To say he will be missed is an understatement.

Bill is survived by his wife, Margaret, of 65 years, sons Mark (Laurie) and Mike (Lona), son-in-law, Randy Fritz; grandchildren Kristi Bogle-Sherman, Courtney Harmon, Matthew Bogle, Stephanie Fritz, Julianna Baile, Ryan Bogle; and great-grandchildren George & Isabelle Sherman, Chloe & Ava Harmon, Henry & Olivia Bogle, and Nora Baile. He is also survived by his sister, Detonne Pouzar, brother-in-law & sister-in-law John & Deltha Lowe, and a host of nephews, nieces, and great-nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his beloved daughter, Laurie.

Bill’s life will be celebrated later this year, and information regarding those arrangements will be forthcoming.

In lieu of flowers, tax-deductible donations may be made to the Musical Institute for Knowledge and Education.

http://musicalinstituteforknowledgeandeducation.org/