William Bill McReynolds' Obituary
William Bill McReynolds, Sr., C.P.A., of Longview, Texas was called to his Lord and surrounded by his immediate family following a brief illness. He was 92 years of age. A private interment has been scheduled at Lakeview Memorial Gardens in the family's plot. A public memorial service and celebration of his life will be held in the Chapel of Rader Funeral Home on Saturday, May 31, 2014 at 11 a.m.
Bill Mac was born the second of five children to Francis M. McReynolds and Lydia Liddie Elizabeth Lancaster McReynolds in Hale, Missouri on March 7, 1921. He received his schooling at Hale public schools and attended college in Kansas City, Missouri. Immediately following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, which signaled America's entry into World War II, he enlisted in the Merchant Marines, where he attained the rank of Chief Petty Officer. During his years of service, his ships participated in battles within the Pacific, in the siege of Murmansk, Russia, as well as the honor of being one of the first ships to arrive at Hiroshima, Japan following the dropping of the bomb which brought an end to the War. Bill and his shipmates had been acknowledged in the past decade for their roles in specific battles and key events pertaining to the liberation of their countries from The Third Reich by the governments of France and Russia at special ceremonies held at their embassies in Washington, D.C., with special commendations for valor and medals honoring their heroic actions.
After the surrender of Japanese and German forces, Bill was recruited by Dr. Allen Tyler to join the newly-formed accounting department at LeTourneau Institute, now LeTourneau University, located on the campus of the former Harmon General Hospital. In 1956, having completed the licensing and certification requirements for public accounting, he went into private practice, forming a partnership in Green, McReynolds, and Sherrell, C.P.A.s, which later became Green, McReynolds, Forbis, and Blakely, C.P.A.s, and then finally McReynolds and Company, C.P.A. Bill specialized in oil and gas accounting with numerous clients who were independent oil and gas producers within the Great East Texas Oil Field.
Bill served in numerous elective offices within professional accounting membership organizations, including serving on the boards of the East Texas Society of C.P.A.'s, the Texas Society of C.P.A.'s, and the National Association of Certified Public Accountants. Locally, Bill held memberships in the Longview Rotary Club where he was a Harris Fellow, served as Chairman of the Longview Regional Hospital Authority, was a longtime volunteer with the Longview Junior Chamber of Commerce Jaycees, and held memberships in the Pinecrest Country Club, serving two terms as President of the Board and several terms as its Treasurer, the Oak Forest Country Club where he was an officer and board member, the Summit Club, was a member of the Shriner's Sharon Temple achieving the rank of Thirty-second Degree Mason, was a member of the Longview Investment Club, and was an active member of the Pine Tree Cumberland Presbyterian Church where he was a member of their choir and for many years serving as its superintendent of adult education.
Bill held two great passions: his family and a love of the game of golf. He often said that his proudest accomplishment were his four children, spending countless hours teaching each of them to swim in the cove below the family's cabin at Lake Cherokee, or taking his boys hunting in the woods and river bottoms on the Castleberry/Smith Farm or on the Allen family's ranch in Bosque County, sitting in his coveted 50 yard line seats at the Cotton Bowl Classic rooting for his Longhorns. As empty nesters, he and his wife Yvonne enjoyed traveling the globe, frequently with their closest friends, affectionately nicknamed "The Dirty Dozen". With these longterm pals, Bill had the pleasure of golfing on courses at Pebble Beach, Sea Island, Mexico, and Hawaii. He often said that his wife Yvonne, to whom he was happily married for 65 years, was the one great love of his life.
Bill is survived by his wife Yvonne, son Michael and wife Linda of Wisconsin, son Bill, Jr. and wife Malika of Los Angeles, Ca., daughter Betty Stafford and husband Frank of Garrison, New York, and son Allen of Houston, his four grandchildren including Ashiya McReynolds of Mumbai, India, Faris McReynolds of Los Angeles, Ca., and Will Stafford and Sam Stafford of Garrison, New York, his sister Toni M. Wilkinson of Napa, Ca., his brother Jim McReynolds of Clark, Missouri, and by numerous nieces and nephews.
The family requests in lieu of flowers that a donation be made to a charity of your choice.
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