William "Bill" Paxton, 75, of Houston, TX, passed away on February 01, 2023 after an futile battle with Urothelial Carcinoma (a type of bladder cancer). He passed in the night, taking his last breath at 2:23 AM.

William was born on October 4, 1947 to Mary Alice and George Paxton in Meyersdale, PA. After graduating from Meyersdale High School in 1965, he went on to college at Kent State University. He later attended West Virginia University where he graduated with a degree in agro-business. Bill met his bride Sandra Shockey in high-school. They wed on June 3, 1972 going on to have three children, Meredith Ann, Mark William, and Jillian Rebecca Paxton.


Bill was a loving son, loyal husband, dedicated father, a caring educator, and a great friend. He had a love of sports, gardening, woodworking, and exploring the national parks. He was infinitely curious to meet new people and travel to new places. 

Bill and Sandy lived many years in Pennsylvania where they owned a farm and later moved to a home in the center of their small town. Bill applied his degree as the FFA and shop teacher at Salisbury High School. He found his calling as a teacher. Later when the family moved to Englewood, Florida he worked with special needs students and finished his career as an On-the-Job Coordinator at the local vocational school. His job was to place students in work experiences while still finishing high school and track their progress. Bill was the guy for the job. He was made for it. He could and would find something to talk about with anybody. It was an art form and he was phenomenal at it. There was no such thing as small talk for Bill because he truly engaged in every conversation. On the job, he often had the “occasion“ to stop at a random business and talk the owner into taking a chance on placing one of his students. It wasn’t always a success, but he got a chance to ask that owner a zillion questions about his business. Those visits often became lunchtime stories that usually ended with him roaring in laughter at himself. The man was priceless. 

Bill was the epitome of a supportive sports dad traveling near and far to cheer on his three children in their athletic pursuits. He rarely missed a competition be it a basketball, volleyball, or baseball game . He went to track events, swim meets, and tennis matches. 

Again as the supportive husband and father, Bill moved with Sandy to Houston, Texas in 2012 after his retirement to be close to his 3 grandchildren. Always on the move, he quickly found part-time work delivering new cars and trucks for a couple of local dealerships. Just as he had with his role as on the job coordinator, he relished meeting new people and visiting new locations across the state of Texas and beyond.

His enthusiasm for sports continued with him frequenting college games for his beloved Mountaineers. He was a die-hard Steelers fan and loved the Astros  It was a special moment when he and Sandy along with his son Mark and his wife Karen attended game one of the 2022 World Series to cheer for his hometown team.

Bill is survived by his sister Mary Ellen Phillips, brother Edison Hay Paxton, and cousin Ellen Brown Bogart. Also his wife Sandy, all three children, and his grandchildren Sidney Marie, Ellysia Ann Scott and William Neal Paxton.

His family meant more to him than anything else in the world, and was arguably his greatest accomplishment. The family welcomes any correspondence to his home at 5703 Deer Shadow Court, Houston TX 77041. If you wish to make a donation in honor of Bill we have identified Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation in Tampa, Florida. There will be an open house memorial for those in the Houston area on February 11th at his family home between the hours of 3-5 PM Central time. The family will host a celebration of life in Englewood, Florida near the end of May 2023. Details to be provided once final arrangements are confirmed.

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/william-paxton/obituary/

Copy