William "Bill" McGatha

January 10, 1936 - March 31, 2021

A graveside service for William “Bill” McGatha, age 85 of Hideaway, Texas, is scheduled for 2:00 PM Sunday, April 4, 2021 at the Red Bayou Cemetery in New Boston, Texas with Pastor John Barfield officiating. Services are under the direction of Caudle-Rutledge-Daugherty Funeral Home in Lindale, Texas. Bill passed away Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at a hospital in Tyler, Texas. He was born in Salyersville, Kentucky on January 10, 1936 to the late Joseph A. and Fannie (Bailey) McGatha. Bill grew up in Jackson, Michigan and graduated in 1953 from Jackson High School. Home later became New Boston, Texas, where he met his loving wife, Lanora, at the Red Bayou United Methodist Church. Bill enlisted in the army in January 1954 in Jackson, Michigan. He served 20 years including 2 terms in Vietnam, where he was combat wounded (1968-1969 and 1971-1972). He was in an Air Assault Unit with the 2nd of the 60th, 9th Infantry Division. He served as a Drill Sgt. at Ft. Bliss, Texas, as well as Ft. Polk, Louisiana. He earned medals including the CIB, Purple Heart, Bronze Star, good conduct medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and many others. Bill retired in February 1976 as a SFC at Ft. Polk, Louisiana. He was 100% service-connected disabled. He was a patriot, a Christian, and an honorable man. After military service, he completed college earning a BA degree in sociology at Texas A&M, Texarkana. He worked for the Army 20 years, retiring in 1997 from the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois, where he was a team leader for the Apache helicopter. He and his wife, Lanora, left Illinois and moved to Tyler, Texas in 2013. Bill loved working with The Walk to Emmaus in the Quad Cities, and as a Sunday School teacher in several local churches. Bill was known as being the kindest man and a wonderful husband and father. He was very involved in his children’s activities including boy scouts and coaching little league. Bill enjoyed playing Poker even if it was betting gummy bears with his grandchildren. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, infant son, Johnathan Lyndsey McGatha, 3 sisters, Nancy, Opal, and Garnet, and brother, Robert McGatha. Bill is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Lanora McGatha of Hideaway, Texas; sons, Jackie McGatha and wife, Kathy of Hideaway, Texas; William “Billy” McGatha and wife, Roxanne of Tyler, Texas; Christopher Adam Robbins of Fayetteville, North Carolina; daughter, Sherry Hofsommer and husband, Bob of Gulfport, Mississippi; 5 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren, 1 great-great grandchild and numerous nieces and nephews.