William A Word

William A Word, Jr., 72, went to live in eternal peace with His Lord, Jesus Christ, on March 10, 2023, in Corpus Christi, TX.
William is survived by his wife, Kate Word, of Corpus Christi, two sisters, Linda Word Namestnik and Mary Word Gates; two nephews, Austin R. Gates and Adam Word Gates, one niece, Holly Gates Lewis; four great-nephews, Jesse Gates, James Garrett Lewis, David Jonathon Lewis, Bryson Joseph Lewis, and one-great niece, Zaiah Katherine Lewis; two children by marriage, Angela Garza and Chuck Ulatoski and four grandchildren by marriage, Bailey, Brooklynn, Brody and Ivan. William is preceded in death by his parents, William Word Sr and Alberta Boucher Word.

He was born Mar 4, 1951, in Alice, Texas but his family soon moved to Falfurrias. Growing up, Bill was a mischievous sort. His smile was infectious, and his dimples always caught the attention of the church ladies. He hated being pinched on the cheek, but they did it anyway! Despite health challenges, he always seemed to be a happy kid. Bill enjoyed a good joke and often had a fresh one to tell or a trick to play on someone else. Always harmless and funny. His sisters were never afraid when Bill was nearby. As siblings, they fought like most, but in public, they were fiercely loyal and protective. Bill liked to cook, bake, and eat, but he also drew detailed action pictures of battles, cars, and boats. He then spent time bringing those pictures to life with sound effects and movements. He played the French horn in the high school marching band and taught himself to play the guitar. His voice and guitar caressed the air as he sang the more than 80 beautiful praise songs he wrote during his lifetime.

Bill made friends easily and was a very generous and giving person of his time and resources. In ministry life, he was comfortable with politicians, pastors, civic leaders, teachers, hospital administrators, nurses, veterans and the homeless, alike. His lifelong regret was not serving his country in the military. He served as an associate pastor alongside Warren Piersol at Faith Temple in Corpus Christi, was a missionary in Guatemala for five years and served on the board at Commission to Every Nation, Hope Church of Corpus Christi and Rising Tide Ministries. He helped organize volunteers for the House of Prayer at Faith Temple and the Healing Rooms. He was a founding member of the Servants Prayer Council, Alliance for Biblical Culture, and the Moral Compass Initiative. His experience in the marketplace made him a worthy commercial minister. He worked for Equifax as a private investigator, thoroughly managed parts inventory for his family's automobile dealership, B & B Motors, and was a whiz with a computer. He could truly accomplish anything he set his mind to.

His most amazing achievement is the beautiful life he created for himself after a tragic car accident in 2004 that rendered him unrecognizable, even to his family. So many surgeries, so much functional compromise, so many years in rehab and home health inspired him to start his own home health care agency. And yet, he never complained. Instead, he prayed for his visitors.

His faith in Jesus Christ was unshakable and his commitment and service to the body of Christ locally and regionally, is a book yet to be written on the hearts of every believer who sat with him. William was always available, approachable, and safe to be with. He opened his home to churches, government committees, prayer initiatives, and non-profits who needed meeting places. Some fondly called him "senator" or the "mayor of his own city," but he was most known for loving society's "throw-away people." He named his home, "Aerie Hall" and made it known as an embassy for the Kingdom of God, a conservatory of music and worship where new sounds were birthed, and as an outpost where people came for refreshment before being sent out again to their various destinations.

At age 62 and a confirmed bachelor, God brought a wife to share the last decade of his life. In so doing, He redeemed both of their wounded hearts. William and Kate understood fully that God's redemption plan always uses people, and so they set about together to be used for His purposes.

The services for Mr. Word are tentatively planned for April, but arrangements are still pending.

Memorial donations can be made in William's name to:

Commission to Every Nation (CTEN) PO Box 291307, Kerrville, TX 78029-1307, or

Somebody Cares America/Intl, PO Box 925308, Houston TX 77292, or

Hope Church of Corpus Christi, 3101 McCardle Rd, CCTX 78415

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