Billy Kenneth Cheek

I am devastated to hear this news--Bill was a good friend, and a stalwart supporter of all things Texas art. Getting to know Bill and Mary was one of the highlights of my time in Texas. Bill always reached out, always made me welcome, and kept me involved in CASETA. I will miss him as a friend and send my condolences to his family.

Bill was a true Texas gentleman, sincere and kind. His love for Early Texas Art was only eclipsed by his love for his family. I first got to know him when I started collecting Early Texas paintings in earnest. If there was such a thing as a godfather of Early Texas art collecting, it was Bill Cheek. At a time in the early 1990's when there was scant published information about historical Texas artists, Bill was a repository of knowledge. As noted by others, instead of hoarding his information...

Sending love and prayers to the family.

Bill was the most wonderful and emphatic person I have ever met in my life. He was friendly and helpful to everyone on his life's way. He shared his gentleness and kindness with everybody regardless the gender or social status. It was my greatest honor to encounter this magnificent human being and be blessed with his friendship. So very thankful for having him and his family in my life!

On behalf of all of us at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, our thoughts and prayers are with your family. Bill Cheek was a wonderful person as well as a generous patron of the arts. He had an excellent eye for good art and an expertise in Early Texas Art that will leave an enduring legacy. We are honored to have known and worked with him, and we are deeply grateful for his involvement with our museum over the years. He will be missed.

Bill was one of my first mentors when I began collecting early Texas art in the mid 1990´s. He was always eager and available to talk about and give guidance about this collecting area. He was one of a small number of people in the state at that time that recognized the beauty and importance of this collecting field. Bill got a "jump" in this area of collecting by more than a decade and he established one of the first important collections of Early Texas Art. Bill was also assisted in his...

Bill was an amazing man-someone whom I admired during my career at EY. He was a true gentleman, both personally and professionally. Condolences to his wonderful family. I know that he will be missed by all.

From those of us knew and worked with Billy Cheek all you can say is he was a partners partner. Never saw an obstacle that could not be overcome and saw the good side of people. God bless Billy and his family.