William "Bill" Mcgarvey

William (Bill) McGarvey, 95, passed away on August 18, 2020 at Cornerstone Gardens in Temple, Texas.  A celebration of his life will be held in the spring.

Bill was born in Detroit in 1924 and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. As a young man he had a short-lived career as a dancer and MC for dance contests and his love of dance continued throughout his life. He spent his summers growing up on Otsego Lake near Gaylord, Michigan.  He enlisted in the US Navy shortly after high school and served on the USS Wisconsin from the time it was commissioned until the end of the Second World War.  He returned to Cincinnati and attended the University of Cincinnati. He received a Bachelor of Science degree and later attained a Juris Doctor degree from the U of C College of Law.  He passed the bar but never practiced law in Ohio.

He took a job with General Electric and later with Redman Motors.  The Redman Company sent him to Dallas, Texas. He was convinced by his friends to take the bar examination.  He passed the bar and practiced law in Dallas with law partners until his retirement.  During his time as an attorney he had a firm dedication to the principle that the accused deserve a fair trial. He used to joke that pro-bono legal work was the only type of law he practiced.  His friends and family will treasure memories of his sense of humor, his generous spirit and his love of the democratic institutions of our country and the law. We will miss his personal stories and shared walks. He was born a McGarvey and loved his family of birth. He was also considered family by the Wheeler/Kacir family. He was greatly loved, cherished, and appreciated by them as well. Both families were very blessed to have his presence in their lives.

He was preceded in death by his father and mother, Robert W. McGarvey and Iris (Ellis) McGarvey and his beloved Betty Jane (Kacir) Wheeler, his constant companion for thirty years.

He is survived by his brother, James McGarvey (Gloria), nephew, Gerald McGarvey (Jin), nieces, Robin Mercer (Scott) and Julie Hamway (Joseph) and many members of the Kacir/Wheeler families whose lives he touched and made fuller.

Harper-Talasek Funeral Home in Temple, Texas is entrusted with service arrangements.