BILLY D. ST JOHN

1931-2018

Bill D. St. John passed away March 16, 2018.

He is survived by Doris Grant St. John, his wife of 65 years. He is also survived by daughter Debra Norwood and husband Bryan; son, Stephen St. John and wife Elizabeth; grandchildren, Taylor St. John and Lynn Norwood.

Bill was born in Wewoka, Oklahoma on July 10, 1931, the son of Edwin Hunter St. John and Verna Wheeler St. John. Bill graduated from Paris, Texas High School and Southern Methodist University. After completing college, he entered the United States Army in 1952 and completed Infantry Combat Training at Camp Roberts, California. The transfer of his unit to Korea was cancelled because of the Armistice Agreement of 1953. Bill proposed to Doris before leaving for the Army and they were married on his first leave in 1953. They spent the first year of their marriage in Bordeaux, France where he was assigned to a NATO Unit. After discharge, he worked three years for Seaboard Oil Company, a subsidiary of Texaco. He became a Certified Public Accountant in 1957 and spent three years in Public Accounting before joining Dresser Industries in 1960. His career at Dresser lasted 37 years. He began as Treasurer of a subsidiary in Beaumont, Texas and then moved to Montreal, Canada as Vice-President Finance of a Canadian Subsidiary in 1968. He returned to Corporate Headquarters in Dallas in 1970 and held titles of Controller, Vice-President Accounting, Senior VicePresident, and Executive Vice-President. He was elected to the board of Directors in 1982 and became Vice-Chairman in 1992. He also served as an officer and director of offices in Europe, Japan, Canada and Brazil. In 1993, he was chosen as a member of a small group of executives to accompany former Secretary of State Laurence Eagleberger and Senator Sam Baker on a three week Trade Mission to China where they met with the President of China and other government and business leaders. During his career, Bill was a member of the Financial Executives Institute, American Institute of CPA’s, and the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation, a large group of major U.S. corporations where he spent a year as Chairman of the Financial Council. He was a Director of the former Republic National Bank of Dallas. Bill and Doris spent many wonderful years together. They were both avid sports fans and loved playing tennis and bridge and travelling to Europe, Hawaii, Canada and the Island of Eleuthera. He was a long time member of the First Baptist Church of Richardson where he served as Deacon Chairman, Sunday School Teacher, and on several Committees.

Funeral services will be held at the First Baptist Church of Richardson, 1001 North Central Expressway, Richardson, Texas at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday March 22, 2018 . In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First Baptist Church of Richardson or the charity of your choice.