Dates
William (Bill) Howell Proctor passed away on July 31, 2020. He was born January 20, 1924 in Oak Cliff, TX, the second son of Willie Green Proctor and Willie Susie Bass Proctor. Raised in McKinney, TX, Bill graduated from McKinney High School where he participated in football, basketball, track and tennis. He entered Trinity University on a football scholarship, but left school to enter the Coast Guard shortly after the outbreak of WWII. At the time of his death he was the last living survivor of the crew that served on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Ingham during the war. Following the war, he entered the University of Texas where he met his late wife, Wanda Jean Cox. After their marriage and graduation from UT, they moved to New Jersey where Bill graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary. For a summer they served a native mission congregation in the Territory of Alaska. Following his ordination, he served as pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Ozark, AR and First Presbyterian Church in Athens, TX. Upon leaving the ministry, Bill began a long career in insurance and real estate, opening the first real estate company in Carrollton, TX. For many years he was also a high school football referee and coached his youngest son’s football, baseball, and basketball teams. He also hosted his own sports radio talk show in the mid 1960’s. Throughout his life he remained a loyal Texas-Ex, purveyor of sports trivia, and fan of Baylor women’s basketball. After owning his own insurance business in both Farmers Branch and North Dallas, he eventually became a professor of real estate at Northlake College in Irving, where he taught for over two decades, retiring at age 83. During that same time, he served for several years as pulpit supply for the Presbyterian Church in Canton, TX. Upon retirement he moved to Temple, TX to be near his youngest son, and then moved to Lyndale Assisted Living in San Angelo to be near his oldest son.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents and older brother, Loey Preston Proctor. He is survived by his two sons, the Rev. William Preston Proctor and wife, Lanell (Lanee), of San Angelo; Dr. Terry Spencer Proctor, DDS and his wife, Susan, of Temple, TX; four grandchildren, Cora Marie Proctor, Ft. Worth, William Spencer Proctor, San Angelo, Sarah Anne Proctor and David Spencer Proctor, Temple, and niece, Susan Spencer Proctor Wempe and husband Mark, Rockwall.
There will be a private graveside service at a later date.