Obituary for William J. Bechtel
William Joseph (Bill) Bechtel Sr. -- Age 92
William Joseph (Bill) Bechtel Sr., age 92, died October 30, 2022 in Waco, Texas at Ascension Providence. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 3, at the St. Louis Catholic Church with Rev. Ryan Higdon as Celebrant. Burial will follow in Oakwood Cemetery. Visitation will be 6 - 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, at OakCrest Funeral Home, 4520 Bosque Boulevard, with a Rosary at 7 p.m.
Bill was born March 21, 1930 in Lacrosse, Wisconsin. He was the first of three children born to Carl Fredrick Bechtel Sr. and Leota Bernice Hand Bechtel.
Bill grew up in Lansing, DeMoines, Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, and Sioux City Iowa. He moved to Texas and graduated from Paschal High School in Ft. Worth in 1948. He went to work for General Motors shortly after graduating high school.
He proudly served in the United States Air Force as a Ground Control Operator during the Korean Conflict. He was stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi, then in Pusan and Seoul South Korea before completion of active duty, being honorably discharged on the 26th day of June 1959.
Bill returned to Baylor University in Waco where he completed his studies and obtained a degree in Geology. Shortly after graduating college, he went to work for Crankshaft and Valve Service as an auto mechanic until 1980. He then ventured into the dry cleaning and laundry business.
He and his brother-in-law Tommy Salome Jr. formed a partnership and purchased Vogue Cleaners from Glen and LaVelle Palmore. That same year, he graduated from the International Fabricare Institute in Laurel, MD.
As a family business, William co-owned and operated Vogue Cleaners #1 at 425 Lake Air Dr. and Vogue Cleaners #2 at 807 N. Hewitt Dr. (across from Midway High School). He also opened and operated First Discount Cleaners at 11th & Waco Dr. before retiring in June 2004.
William was appointed to the Model Cities Commission and served for two terms to determine growth plans and economic developments for the City of Waco.
William was active in the Waco Civitan Club throughout the 1960-70s where he served as president, as well as Northwest Waco Rotary Club where he held numerous offices from 1982 until 2015. He was particularly instrumental in organizing and spearheading Rotary’s Adopt A Highway program.
He was united in marriage to Ann Katherine Salome on May 14, 1966 by Msgr. J.J. Kearns at St. Mary's Catholic Church of The Assumption in Waco, Texas. He was a longtime parishioner of both St. Mary's and St. Louis Catholic Church in Waco.
William enjoyed fishing, bowling, landscaping, and was a charter member of WRS Athletic Club where he formed many lasting friendships throughout the years.
He was preceded in death by his parents and sister Carolyn Bechtel Stark of Fresno, California.
Those left to honor and cherish his memory include his loving and faithful wife of 56 years -- Ann Katherine Salome Bechtel (Waco), son William Joseph (Joey) Bechtel Jr. and fiancee Kirsten Dannielle English (Waco), brother Carl F. Bechtel Jr. & wife Freeda (Richardson, TX) sister-in-law Martha Salome (Crawford, TX) as well as many nieces and nephews.
Serving as Pallbearers will be nephews, Bud Salome, Bobby Salome, Greg Salome, Leonard Elliott, Daryl LeBoeuf and Dennis LeBoeuf Honorary Pallbearers will be Marvin Fedro, Melvin Lipsitz, Lowell Elliott, Donald Keltner, Chris Sellers & Rock McNair.
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