William George “Bill” Churchill, 81, passed away on January 24, 2021 in Rockwall, TX.
A graveside service will be held at Memoryland Memorial Park at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, January 29, 2021 with Rev. Chris Yost officiating. Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. until service time at Coker-Mathews Funeral Home.
Bill was born May 23, 1939 in Odessa, TX to George Jefferson and Alice Dorothy (Connery) Churchill. He graduated from Odessa High School, and then attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX earning a BSEE in 1964.
Bill married the love of his life, Neita Ann Weatherford, at Highland Park Methodist Church on July 13, 1964. Bill and Neita moved to Greenville, TX in 1965 and were active members of Wesley United Methodist Church in Greenville for the remainder of their lives.
Bill’s professional specialty was system engineering. He worked in the Aerospace Industry and did conceptualization, development, design and testing of airborne, shipboard and ground based electronic systems. He was a principal designer of the Sod Hut Program that developed the US Navy’s electronic reconnaissance ships, including the AKL-44 USS Pueblo which in January 1968 was boarded and captured by North Korea. He developed and designed systems used by the US, foreign Heads of State and foreign militaries. He also specialized in hardening systems against nuclear effects.
In addition Bill served as president of Churchill Royalty Company from its formation in 1992 until his death.
Bill was an Amateur Radio Operator and was trained in Uechi Ryu, an Okinawan form of Karate, and was an instructor of Uechi Ryu for 20 years. In his retirement he became interested in genealogy and wrote “The History of A Yarmouth Nova Scotia Branch of the Plymouth Massachusetts Churchills”; which traces his family’s lineage from the modern day to John Churchill who arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts circa 1643; and to Roger de Courcelles (the first Churchill) who is said to have followed William the Conqueror across the English Channel in 1066.
Bill is survived by his daughter Shelley Churchill Corrales and son George Michael Churchill; as well as grandchildren Aubrey Vinklarek (Logan), Anna Tucker, Veronica Churchill, Connery Churchill, Murphy Churchill and Kenobi Corrales.
He was preceded in death by his wife Neita, his parents, a half-brother (George Jefferson Jr.) and half-sister (Kathleen Churchill Duranty).
We are requesting that you limit the size of the gathering during the viewing due to concerns regarding the current health crisis. Please feel free to come and pay your respects but limit your contact with others as per recommended guidelines from the CDC. Masks are required at the funeral home.