William Allen "Bill" Stroud

1932 - 2011

William Allen "Bill" Stroud, 78, former owner and CEO of Higginbotham and Associates, passed away peacefully at his home Wednesday morning, March 23, 2011, surrounded by his loving family and friends. Memorial service: 2 p.m. Friday at First United Methodist Church, 800 W. Fifth St., Fort Worth. Memorials: The family suggests memorial contributions be sent to Cook Children's Medical Center, Fort Worth, Texas; The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; First United Methodist Church, Fort Worth, Texas; or a charity of your choice. Pallbearers: Larry Adams, Bob Ballard, Bill Gandy, Taylor Gandy, Jim Hubbard, Hal Hughes, Rodney Johnston, Dwayne Jose, Larry Newell, Michael Parks, Rusty Reid, Eddie Ryan, Conrad Schmidt, Steve Wilson and Morgan Woodruff. Bill was born in Fort Worth and raised in Fairfield. Bill and his wife, Lue Nel, moved to Fort Worth in 1961 to start working for his uncle's insurance agency. A year after the move, his uncle, Mr. Higginbotham, died and Bill was left to run the company. In 1969 Bill purchased the agency from his aunt, Edith Higginbotham. With Bill's great leadership, attention to detail and vision, he proceeded to sow the seeds for what is now Higginbotham and Associates, Inc. After 20 successful years of growth, Bill sold the agency to his employees in 1989. Bill served on many boards throughout his lifetime including Bank of Commerce, First United Methodist Church, City Airport Advisory Board, as well as many numerous insurance boards. He was a 50-year member of the Shriners and a 42nd degree Mason. Bill and his wife have been members of Colonial Country Club for over 40 years. Bill's main love was his wife of 55 years and together they shared a passion for traveling. They traveled all over the world including China, Italy, France, Africa and his favorite, Austria. In his later years, he enjoyed spending time at his second home in Boothbay, Maine, where you could find him sitting on his back porch gazing at the ocean. He was preceded in death by his parents, A.E. and Estelle Stroud. Survivors: His loving, beautiful wife of 55 years, Lue Nel Stroud; daughters, Cindy Cornish and husband, David, Kay Martin and husband, Tommy, Paula Brockway and husband, Bob, and Pam Pollett and husband, Bruce; sister, Martha Belle Bonner; brother, Warren Day Stroud; 10 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and a very special friend and loving caretaker, Debra Breaud.