William Swanson Clay

Funeral: 11 a.m. Wednesday at Matthew Road Baptist Church in Grand Prairie. Interment: 1:30 p.m. in Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Bean-Massey-Burge Funeral Home in Grand Prairie.

Bill was born in Corsicana on Feb. 17, 1927. He left high school to join the Navy during World War II. He served aboard the USS Bering Strait in the Pacific theater. He met his wife of 62 years, Betty, through letters during the war. He came home, married Betty, finished high school, began working for Vought Aeronatics and attended college. He retired after 35 years with Vought and worked 12 more years with the Department of Defense.

Bill loved the Lord, his family and his friends. He enjoyed traveling and music, and during the two weeks preceding his death, traveled to New York to visit with nieces, nephews and a grandson. He was still talking, laughing and praying with his friends and then he went to sleep and woke up with the angels. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Betty; and brother, Bobby Clay.

Survivors: Daughters and sons-in-law, Richard and D'Ann Frank of Commerce and Michael and Melinda Casey of Grand Prairie; grandchildren, Dean and Katrina Blair, Tim and Anna Folden, Matthew and Candace Casey, Travis Frank, and Patrick Casey; eight great-grandchildren; and loving nieces and nephews.