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In memory of

William P. Wesley

Murphy, TX, USA

October 3, 1937 - February 15, 2021

Oct 3, 1937 - Feb 15, 2021

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William (Wes) Powell Wesley Sr., age 83, passed away on Monday February 15th 2021 in Methodist Hospital in Richardson Texas.

Wes was a loving father, grandfather, great-grandfather, husband, companion and friend. He was also an avid sportsman with a lifelong passion for golf.

Golf must have appealed because it resembles life. You’re surrounded by beauty and nature, but confronted by numerous barriers, hazards and challenges. It requires a certain dedication, but you shouldn’t take it too seriously. You can probably tell a lot about a person by how they play golf.

To me, one of the most fascinating things about my father is not the number of holes-in-one that he scored (though he did score a few). The most interesting thing is that the people who knew him throughout life (childhood friends, co-workers, golfing buddies and even random encounters in foreign lands) all say the same thing: “he’s such a nice guy”. And they say it in a similar way, with added emphasis on the word nice to remind you they’re not just saying it, they actually really mean it.

His son’s in-laws live in France. They know Wes mostly through Skype and the twinkle in their mutual granddaughter Emma’s eyes whenever she speaks about him. They don’t speak English and Wes didn’t speak French but they nailed it on the head when they wrote, translated, that “he was the picture of goodness and kindness and caring for others”. His charisma transcends language.

He taught many important lessons, usually through his own example, including advancement through education.

He was born in Daingerfield Texas on October 3, 1937 to Clemon Herbert Wesley and Zannie (Benson) Wesley. He was the fourth of nine children. The family moved to Hawkins, Texas, a small farming town with 1000 people. The closest city of consequence was Minieola, 18 miles away.

Wes overcame many barriers, challenges and hazards in his journey from life on the farm (where he started school each year a few months late to help with the harvest) to graduating from Prairie View A&M University with a Bachelors degree in Industrial Engineering.

After college, he drove his Aunt Sylvia 1200 miles to Los Angeles. It was supposed to be a summer vacation, but the city grew on him and become home for over nearly 50 years. He worked as a traffic system electrician for the neighboring City of Beverly Hills over three decades.

In Los Angeles, Wes met Minnie Ola, his loving wife of 39 years until her passing in 2010, at a friend’s house in Los Angeles. Minnie Ola was from Dallas (not Minieola) but her name suggests their meeting was fate. They married on New Year’s Day in 1971.

They had two children, William Powell Wesley (Jr.) in London, England and Tymika Niquel Wesley in Los Angeles. His eldest daughter, Daphne Wesley, passed away in 2017. He has one granddaughter, Emma Maniere Wesley in London; two grandsons, Keion Davis and Johnny Fulcher, both in Los Angeles (and their children).

After retirement, in 2006, he and Minnie returned to their roots in Texas, settling in Murphy, just north of Dallas. In retirement, you could find him on golf courses in Texas, the Carolinas, Arizona and sometimes as far afield as Mexico.

He also enjoyed visiting his son’s family in England. He was a great travel companion, occasionally traveling further afield to Paris or the South of France.

Life differs from golf in one key respect. You just get one round in life, but in spirit he will always be here with us. Your path shines a light for us to follow. We will miss you in flesh though you will always be here in spirit.

Godspeed!

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