Bill Pimley

Bill Pimley
William Jesse “Bill” Pimley was born May 30th, 1951, in Havre, MT. He was the third of ten children born to Orville and Della (Cole) Pimley. Bill grew up on the family farm on the Canadian border north of Joplin and received his early education in a one-room schoolhouse at the Burke Country School. The Pimleys eventually moved to Joplin, where Bill graduated from Joplin High School in 1969. He continued his education at M.S.U. in Bozeman and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering in 1973.

While attending college, Bill met Maureen Ann Dougherty. They were married in Great Falls on September 16, 1972. Soon after graduation, they moved to Tulsa, OK, where Bill accepted a position with Texaco-Cities Service Pipeline Company. The job was great, but it required three transfers by the Pimley family during the next 20 years – to Downs, IL, to Houston, TX, and back to Tulsa, OK. When the company sold their holdings, Bill joined up with Equilon Pipeline Company in Wichita Falls, TX. He remained with this firm until 1999 when they merged and Bill was hired by Shell Pipeline Company in New Orleans, LA. The Pimleys moved to Houma, LA. for six months, and then bought a house in Kenner, LA, where they have lived since. Bill thoroughly enjoyed his work and was known to draw proposed job sketches and diagrams on anything handy, including restaurant and bar napkins along the way.

Bill was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) brain cancer in October of 2011. Despite received the recommended treatments, he died peacefully on Friday, November 2nd, 2012, at the age of 61 years surrounded by his family.

Bill earned his Professional Engineering License while they were living in Illinois. He had many accomplishments in life that required no recognition. For instance, in Wichita Falls he volunteered to engineer a pipeline to bring water to the Girl Scout Camp. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Girl Scout Council in Wichita Falls. After they moved to Louisiana, Bill spearheaded building improvements & clean-up projects at a horse barn that was used for disabled children and as a pet shelter. Following Katrina, Bill helped rebuild several co-workers’ homes.

Bill enjoyed many hobbies. He loved woodworking and built many wooden clocks and other things for family and friends. He was an avid fisherman and enjoyed spending time at his “special getaway”, a fish camp at Cocodrie, LA. Bill and two buddies owned the fish camp where they spent hours-upon-hours fixing it up and fishing with their friends. He loved having kids at the camp, especially his grandchildren. Most of the kids affectionately called him “Uncle Bill” (whether they were related or not), as he would patiently bait hooks for them when he would much rather be fishing himself. Bill also enjoyed working outside in his yard or “tinkering” in his shop. He could fix most anything. And he loved to help people along the way. He is truly be missed by many…