William Howard "Bill" Tester

Mr. William Howard ""Bill"" Tester, 91, born in Butler, Tenn. on June 7, 1925, the youngest of fourteen children, to the late Eli Finlkey Tester and Sarah Camoline Presnell Tester, passed away Monday, Nov. 14, 2016 at UT Medical Center.
He attended schools in Butler, high school in Moultrie, Ga. and college in Johnson City and Buffalo, N.Y. He also attended several sessions at the Tennessee Law Enforcement Academy in Donelson, Tenn.
Bill was a flyer during World War II, U.S.A.A.C., with duty in the Pacific Theater of Operations. His preflight started on Aug. 6, 1942, with his first discharge on Dec. 15, 1945 and his second on May 15, 1947. His list of medals, ribbons and awards include: American Campaign, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, Army of Occupation Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Army Presidential Unit Citation, Army Good Conduct Medal, Expert Badge and Pistol Bar, Marksman Badge and Carbine Bar and the Honorable Service Lapel Button WWII.

Bill's career experience includes B.F. Goodrich Research Lab in Brecksville, Ohio; State of Tennessee Wildlife Officer and supervisor, 31 years; McGuffin Lumber Company and Paty Lumber Company.
Bill enjoyed gardening, fishing, hunting and UT sports (especially UT football). He served as a high school basketball coach at Watauga Academy in the late 1940s, and coached a semi-pro Team in Hampton, Tenn. He was a charter member and past president of the West Morristown Lions Club and has served on the Board of Trustees of Morristown Hamblen Healthcare System, where he also had been a volunteer since January 1999.

Bill was saved in June 1942 at the Elk River Baptist Church in Butler, Tenn. and has been a faithful member of Calvary Baptist Church for most of his life.

Bill was married to Irene Cameron Tester for 54 years before her passing in 2011. Along with his parents who preceded him in death, so do his siblings, David Tester, Queen Aner Romainger, Harvey Tester, Sara Rilda Campbell, Finley Tester, Ida Finney, Benjamin Tester, Luke Tester, Nelson Tester, Ruby Edith Trivett, Louis Tester, Della Ruth Jones and Anna Mae Cook; along with several nieces and nephews.

He has two sons, Doyle and Ricky Tester; grandson, Craig Tester; and granddaughter, Tiffany Tester Spencer; great-grandchildren, Eli Alfred Spencer, Eric Agnus Spencer, Elliott Abraham Spencer, Earl Addicus Spencer, Eva Ellaine Spencer, Alice Eloise Spencer and Ann Spencer.

His family will receive friends Friday, Nov. 18 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Calvary Baptist Church, Morristown with funeral services to follow at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Dr. Larry R. Parrott and C.H. Harvell officiating. Interment and military graveside services conducted by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Colorguard will follow in Hamblen Memory Gardens. Active pallbearers will be the Deacons of Calvary Baptist Church and honorary pallbearers are Darrell Lawson, Jim Wall, Phillip Moore and Charles Wilder.

Arrangements by Mayes Mortuary.


This obituary was originally published in the Citizen Tribune.