William L. "Bill" Lemen

1926 - 2022

McAllen - William L. "Bill" Lemen, 96, died peacefully in his McAllen, TX home on December 20, 2022.

Bill was born on April 19, 1926, in San Juan, Texas to L.C. (Bill) and Viola Chaney Lemen. He was raised in San Juan with his younger brother, Bob Lemen, and attended Pharr-San Juan-Alamo High School where he was president of his senior class. There he played football, basketball, and ran track. He then attended Pan American College for one year and played on their basketball team before enlisting in the United States Marine Corp in 1944 during WWII. He was a second generation Marine assigned to the 6th Marine Division, 22nd Regiment, as a private where he was deployed to Guadalcanal and Okinawa as a rifleman. After 15 months, he was severely wounded on Okinawa in one of the bloodiest battles of the war, losing an eye, and later awarded the Purple Heart medal. Bill valued his service highly, attended Marine Corps reunions for years, and served as Judge Advocate of his regiment's association. He wrote several books describing his time during the war including The Dueling 22nds, a researched comparison of his own U.S. Marine 22nd Regiment and the Japanese 22nd regiment that battled on Okinawa. Upon Bill's discharge with full honors in 1945, he went on to attend the University of Texas at Austin where he obtained his undergraduate degree and then his law degree. He returned to San Juan, Texas, after graduation, where he practiced law for 50 years until his retirement in 2000.

Bill was very active in his community serving as commissioner and then mayor of San Juan in the 60s and early 70s. He was also President of the San Juan Lion's Club and served as a member of the Board of Directors of San Juan State Bank. He was a lifelong member of People's Church in San Juan serving in different leadership roles such as trustee, deacon, and Sunday school teacher.

Bill married his beloved Mary Ellen Reis Joyner on August 5, 1958, loving her two children as his own. Bill and Mary were married for 55 years before her passing in 2013. Bill was also preceded in death by his parents, brother, and stepdaughter, Cheryl Joyner Johnson. He is survived by the second love of his life and partner for the past eight years, Shirley Saulsbury, his stepson Thomas Reis Joyner (Carolyn) of Dripping Springs, Texas, his son-in-law Lyndon L. Johnson and daughters Patricia Lemen Serviere (Matt) of McAllen, Texas, and Leslie Lemen Hunter (Don) of Shelbyville, Kentucky, and a niece, Deborah Lemen, and nephew, Stephen (Lisa) Lemen. He was proud of his nine grandchildren, Jeff and Chad Johnson, Coy and Kyle Joyner, Josh, Sharon, and Amy Serviere, Lauren Hunter Frey and Melissa Hunter Sowder, along with thirteen great-grandchildren. He loved them all.

Bill's hobbies were golf and duplicate bridge (Ruby Life Master), the latter which he enjoyed playing with both Mary and Shirley. He also relished reading, researching and writing. Loved ones will remember him as a patient and loving father, a friend to all, with a sharp mind and keen sense of humor. He was also extremely humble as evidenced by the original one paragraph obituary he wrote for himself.

A graveside service with military honors will be held at Roselawn Cemetery on December 28th at 2:00 PM officiated by Pastor Daniel Armendariz and VFW Post 8788. Funeral arrangements are being provided by Kreidler Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to People's Covenant Church, P.O. Box 124, San Juan, TX 78589.