William George Gammon II

Bill’s story starts on January 22, 1938, the youngest child to William and Helen Gammon. Bill was born in Kansas City, Missouri, where he would grow up, make lifelong friends, and go to school. From the moment of his birth, it was evident for all to see that Bill was born with an unbridled spirit, an abundant amount of innate energy, and a large appetite for living. It was this thirst for living that led to his decision to postpone college and, instead, join the Navy. For most of his active Navy tour, Bill flew “search and rescue” planes in the South Pacific and was stationed at various “exotic” locales including Guam, Wake Island, and Hawaii. However, his most impactful Navy assignment came early in his career when he was assigned to Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis is where he would meet the love of his life, Mary Patricia Coleman. Bill was a young enlisted man just 18 years of age when they met. Following a whirlwind romance, the couple was married in the Catholic Church in Memphis on June 14, 1958.

Ten months later, their daughter was born. Twenty-two months later, the young father had a son. These events, occurring by the time Bill was barely 23 years old, caused him to refocus his energy toward acquiring the educational foundation necessary to support his young family. Over the course of the next 5 years, while working numerous jobs to support his young family, Bill acquired a degree in electrical engineering from Christian Brothers College in Memphis, Tennessee and obtained a masters in business administration from Memphis State University. Upon graduation, Bill was offered a position with the Dover Corporation, a fortune fifty company, and was assigned to the elevator division. As he quickly rose through the corporate ranks, the family was transferred from Memphis to Sacramento, then Denver, and Houston… At each stop in his journey, Bill formed close relationships with a number of people that went beyond the immediate neighborhood and which lasted a lifetime.

Bill was, at his core, a people person. His innate understanding of people, coupled with his respect and appreciation of everyone no matter their status in life, made him a natural leader. This translated into, among other things, tremendous business success, a fierce loyalty among his employees, and enduring, lifetime bonds with his friends. If you asked Bill who he was, he would probably tell you that he was just an Irishman, and, perhaps, that best sums him up for it has been said that the Irish people demonstrate the joy of living better than anyone else. We will always remember the fun and laughter that we had together boating, traveling, skiing and just plain old fashion chatting. Most recently, a lifelong friend, who was terminally ill, wrote Bill and thanked him for, among other things, being the best friend that he had ever had. The funny thing is that there are several people who, throughout the years, might make that claim… Because, Bill was, to those that he cared about, the consummate best friend.

Loved ones that will miss Bill until they meet again include his sister, Patricia Elgin; his daughter and son-in-law, Mickey (Mary Helen) Bufalini and Mark Bufalini; his son, William Gammon III; his sister-in-law, Jere Coleman; and his four grandchildren: Sarah Gammon, Olivia Bufalini, Justin Gammon, and Jacquelyn Gammon.

And so, the story goes on until we see our Bill again. We love you and miss you dad.

Bill requested an intimate viewing and funeral not far from his home. The family wishes to thank all of those who cared for Bill throughout his life.

For those who have known and loved Bill, a viewing and visitation will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2020, between the hours of 1:00 PM -2:00 PM at the Texas Liberty Chapel of the Memorial Oaks Funeral Home and Cemetery. The funeral services will follow the viewing and will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2020 at 2:00 PM at the Texas Liberty Chapel of the Memorial Oaks Cemetery followed by a graveside committal service. The Memorial Oaks Funeral Home and Cemetery is located at 13001 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77079.