Bill Mays

MAYS, BILL MAYS (William V. Mays) - Bill was born in Fordyce, AR to Mary Vick Mays and R.W. Mays on December 1, 1922 and died of an apparent heart attack in Texarkana, TX on December 26, 2004. He was making his annual December trip to his home in Arkansas to visit relatives and friends. Memorial Service was held at Highland Park Presbyterian Church, Dallas, TX at 4:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 29. Reception immediately followed in Elliott Hall. Officiating: Dr. Ron Scates, Dr. Ed Matthews (Little Rock, AR), Rev. Herschel McClurkin (Fort Smith, AR). Graveside Service: Fordyce, AR - Oakland Cemetery, Thursday, December 30, with visitation prior to service at Benton Funeral Home at 2:00 p.m Officiating: Dr. Ed Matthews and The Rev. Herschel McClurkin. Bill was a member of the administrative staff of Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas (PHD) for 28 years. He was frequently referred to as the "Ambassador" of Presbyterian and was a familiar face to hundreds of patients, families, physicians and employees at PHD. At the age of 82 he was still coming to work every day and visited patients at the hospital on Christmas Day. In November 2004, Bill was honored by Presbyterian Healthcare System with a newly created service award which is named in his honor. The "Bill Mays Service Award" will be presented annually to an individual who exemplifies the dedication and performance of the high service standards which he set at PHD. Bill was a graduate of the University of Arkansas and a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. He received a Masters in Healthcare Administration from Northwestern University. He was a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. For 45 years he was a leader in Dallas hospital circles. He was the first executive director of the Dallas Fort Worth Hospital Council (1967-1980). He completed his administrative residency at Parkland Hospital in Dallas and remained on the staff. He served as associate administrator under Dr. Bolton Boone at Methodist Hospital Dallas. He joined Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas in 1976 as the administrator for Patient and Community Relations. Patient Relations became his favorite area of hospital administration, and for the last 30 years he made daily rounds and saw thousands of patients and their families. He made them feel secure because of his coordination of hospital services and his welcoming smile. He was an active member of the Preston Center Rotary Club and had 40 years of perfect attendance at the Downtown Rotary Club. In early years he served as a board member of First United Methodist Church of Dallas and president of the Downtowner Sunday School class (1960). As a member of the Dallas Press Club he was the official Santa Claus for the Club's Childrens' Party for over 20 years and was named Santa Emeritus in 1993. He was an official greeter at the annual Press Club Gridiron Show for 30 years. He played Santa at PHD on Christmas Day, visiting every patient for 25 years. Bill was well known in Dallas social circles and never missed a dance or party. He was listed in Ultra magazine in 1990 as the Best Male Social Dancer in the city. Bill loved to photograph people and was never without a camera taking pictures of friends at birthdays, graduations, weddings and parties, serving as the "Unofficial" photographer. Many brides said Bill's photos were the first they received. Bill's lifelong dream was to write his memoirs and in 1999 published Behind the Scenes in Hospitals: Life and Times of Bill Mays. He gave over 500 copies to relatives and friends. He was a member of The Idlewild Club, the Dallas Country Club, and Highland Park Presbyterian Church. He was preceded in death by his parents, and brother George Mays of Pine Bluff, AR. He is survived by a number of relatives in Arkansas and other areas including two of his favorite people, Aunt Clio Clary and Aunt Grace Jordan of Little Rock, AR, his sister Mary Helen Edwards and her husband Roy of Springfield, OR, his sister Louise Williams of Palo Alto, CA, and hundreds of friends and associates. Honorary Pallbearers are Doug Hawthorne, Jim Clary, Tav Lupton, Bragg Smith, Lee Ritchie, Averill DeLoache, Mark Wood, Jeff Kaye, Charles Cooper, Gary Robinson, Dr. Maynard Ewton, Dr. Will Reardon, Dr. Walter Skinner, Dr. Richard Hinton, Dr. Paul Peters, Dr. Morris Fogelman, Dodson Carmichael, Burt Gilliland, George Fix, Bill Sparkman, Ed Weimer (all of Dallas); Jerry Patterson (Los Angeles), Wynn Presson (Kanas City), Jim "Bum" Atkins (Little Rock), Glen Scott (Monument, CO), Jimmy Wynne (Kaufman, TX), Jack Price (Tampa, FL). In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Bill Mays Patient Service Award c/o Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation, 8440 Walnut Hill Lane, Suite 800, LB 6, Dallas, Texas 75231, or First United Methodist Church, W. Fourth St., Fordyce, AR 71742.