William Roger Sarsgard

1927 - 2007

William Roger Sarsgard, 79, encountered death Friday, Oct. 19, 2007, the same way he lived his life: with peace, grace, humor, an unshakable faith and surrounded by his family.
Funeral: A memorial service celebrating Bill's life will be held 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007, at First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth.
Honorary Pallbearers: Jerry Brownlee, Joe Bruce Cunningham, Ken Garrett, Stan Graner, Byron Keil, Ed Keltner, Peter Kristensen, Robert Maberry, Bob Martin, Howard McMahan, Kleber Miller, Tom Romine, George Runnion, Jim Russell and Ted Webb. The Mounted Patrol Unit will provide an honor guard.
Memorials: The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Children's Fund of the Rotary Club of Fort Worth, 306 W. 7th St., Suite 715, Fort Worth 76102; the Presbyterian Night Shelter, 2400 Cypress St., Fort Worth 76102; Happy Hills Farm, 3846 N. Highway 144, Granbury 76048; or a charity of choice.
Bill Sarsgard was born Nov. 23, 1927, in Chicago, Ill., to the late Pierre and Eva Jean Sarsgard. The family moved to Fort Worth shortly afterward. Bill always considered Fort Worth his home. He attended Fort Worth public schools, graduating from Arlington Heights High School in 1944. He attended Texas Christian University for one year before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps, from which he was honorably discharged in 1947.
Bill entered the University of Texas, where he received his undergraduate degree in 1949 and his law degree in 1951. While there, Bill met, courted and married Helen Culbertson, also of Fort Worth. They returned to Fort Worth after Bill graduated from law school and Bill began his legal career, joining what eventually became the law firm of Hudson, Keltner & Sarsgard.
In 1959, Bill left the private practice of law to become the vice president and secretary of A.B. Culbertson & Company, a corporation that specialized in financing church and institutional construction. Bill eventually became president and chairman of the board of that company. He also became chairman of the board for Trust Management, Inc., a corporation also dedicated to church finance and construction and on whose board he served until his death.
Bill and Helen had three children, Kathy, Debbie and Roger. Bill was constantly involved in their lives and activities, from pre-school through college.
Bill also found time to be heavily involved in Fort Worth. He was elected to the city council in 1967 and re-elected in 1969. Upon taking office in 1967, the council elected him mayor pro tem and he served in that capacity for his entire four-year tenure on the council.
Later Bill was president of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, chairman of the City of Fort Worth Planning Commission, president of the Rotary Club of Fort Worth, president of the Advisory Board of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, president of the Moncrief Radiation Center, president of the Tarrant County Health Planning Council, vice president of the Tarrant County Community Council, and chairman of the board of Trinity Terrace.
He also served as a board member for the Tarrant County Hospital District, United Way of Metropolitan Tarrant County, Lena Pope Home, St. Joseph Hospital, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Amon Carter Blood Center, Texas State Board of Education, the Tarrant County Food Bank and the Executive Service Corps. Bill was also active in his churches, serving as a deacon and Sunday school teacher at Broadway Baptist Church and later as an elder at First Presbyterian Church.
After waging a courageous battle with cancer, Helen Culbertson Sarsgard died in November of 1977.
In 1980, Bill rekindled a high school courtship with Joanne Olmsted Bryant. They were married in 1981 and spent 26 wonderful years together, traveling the world and enjoying the accomplishments of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by his first wife, Helen; and Joanne's daughter, Marilou Labovitz.
Survivors: Beloved wife, Joanne; daughters, Kathy Cleaveland and her husband, Jack, Debbie Whitton and her husband, Jim; son, William Roger Sarsgard Jr.; grandchildren, Kim and Katie Cleaveland, Lauren and Sarah Whitton, William, Christopher and Alyssa Sarsgard; nephews, Dee Finley and his wife, Becky, Bob Finley and his wife, Harriet, and Pat Finley; Joanne's family includes children, Becky Green and her husband, Ben, Mark Bryant and his wife, Roxanne; grandchildren, Becca Cheng and her husband, Johnny, Joanna Gafford and her husband, Terry, John, Julie and Elliot Bryant, Lee Labovitz and his wife, Karyn, Todd Labovitz, Sheila Stanton and her husband, Jimmy, Tami Fincher and her husband, Steve; sister-in-law, Sybil Baldwin; brother-in-law, Paul Olmsted; and son-in-law, Jack Labovitz; several great-grandchildren; nieces; and nephews.