William Joseph Nunnery Sr.

Mr. William Joseph Nunnery Sr. of 14101 Bay Pointe Ct. Houston, Texas peacefully passed away in his sleep on April 8, 2014 at age 97. A private ceremony is being planned at the Houston National Cemetery for Bill. Forest Park East Funeral Home 21620 Gulf Freeway Webster, Texas 77598 is handling the arrangements.

Born in Chester S.C. on August 31, 1916, he ws the son of the late Clara McCullough Nunnery and the late John Edgar Nunnery of Chester, S.C. He was the brother of Dorothy Nunnery Hicklin of Richburg. Brothers, Hall F. "Pete" Nunnery of Chester, S.C., and John Nunnery of Jacksonville, Florida, preceded him in death. Also preceding him in death: a daughter Margaret Kathleen Lawerence Smith; his companion for 32 years, Virginia Trotter; as well as his first wife and mother of his children, Margaret Kathleen Helms.

Mr. Nunnery was a graduate of Chester High School, where he played left-end on the football team that won the State Championship in 1931-34. He later attended Furman University (class of 38) in Greenville S.C. Mr. Nunnery served in the U.S. Army and was involved in both World War II (88 Infantry:North Africa and Italy theaters) and the Korean Conflict. In 1961, he retired from the U.S. Army and began his career with NASA at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. In 1962, he and family relocated to Houston, Texas, where he worked at the Johnson Space Center until his retirement in 1986. His favorite place to be for over 60 years was on any golf course, where he celebrated two holes-in-one during those years!

In 1985, Mr. Nunnery received the NASA Silver Snoopy Award. This award is a special honor awarded to NASA employees and contractors for outstanding achievements related to human flight safety or mission success. The award certificate states that it is "In Appreciation" "For professionalism, dedication and outstanding support that greatly enhanced space flight safety and mission success." The award depicts Snoopy, a character from the Peanuts comic strip created by Charles M. Schultz.

Mr. Nunnery was a christian, having been baptized at the age of 8 at First Baptist Church in Chester, S.C. He was a member of the University Baptist Church Sunday Morning Bible Study in the Clear Lake area of Houston, Texas.

A son, William J. Nunnery, Jr. of Houston, Texas; two gandchildren, Travis Wayne Lawrence, Jr. of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Kristine M. Lawrence-Pepe from Spring, Texas, along with three great-grandchildren survive him.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorials be made to:

University Baptist Church Library 16106 Middlebrook Drive, Houston, Texas 77059

or

Alzheimer's Foundation 225 north Michigan Ave, Floor 17 Chicago, Illinois 60601-7633