WILLIAM W. COATES III

1937 - 2014

William Waldron Coates, III, (Bill), founder and retired CEO of Billy Goat Industries, died Saturday, morning, July 19, 2014,at Peterson Medical in Kerrville, Texas. Bill was born in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 14, 1937, and graduated from Austin College, Sherman, Texas, in 1961, then achieved his Master's Degree from Oklahoma State University in 1962. He married Sue Schoeneck in the summer of 1961. They had four sons, William Waldron Coates IV, President of Billy Goat Industries of Lee's Summit, Mo., Greig Weber Coates resides in Austin, Jefferson Drew Coates, Lee's Summit, and Travis Edward Coates, MD, of Southlake, Texas. There are 10 grandchildren. Bill founded Billy Goat Industries which began business in Grandview, Mo., in 1967. The company went on to become leader of the industrial landscapers manufacturing industry under Bill's astute management. His direction took the company to first in the industry in the United States while opening markets in Europe and Great Britain. After a time, Billy Goat outgrew the first location and moved into a large 34-acre location in Lee's Summit where they remain today. Bill married Carol Sue Entrikin Epps of Kansas City, Mo., in 2006, then retired in 2008, moving to Kerrville, where he enjoyed his bulldogs and hunting and a large group of friends. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 23, at the First Assembly of God Church in Kerrville. The family invites you to send condolences online at www.grimesfuneralchapels.com by selecting the "Send Condolence" link. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Grimes Funeral Chapels of Kerrville, Texas.