William Rost Falco

William Rost Falco (Bill) passed from this life on February 19, 2026, leaving behind a city he helped shape, a family he adored beyond measure, and a community forever better because he walked among us.

A burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, March 6, 2026, at Oakwood Cemetery. A memorial service will follow at 11:00 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Waco.

Born in Navasota, Texas, to Joe Savaggo Falco and Elvera Rost Falco, Bill’s roots were firmly planted in Texas soil. From those beginnings grew a life defined by service, vision, steadiness, and an extraordinary love for people and places.

Bill’s love affair with Waco began in 1972 and never waned. As a City Planner and Director of Planning and Community Development Services for Waco, he helped imagine and bring to life a more beautiful, vibrant, and hopeful city. If you stand today in Indian Spring Park, stroll along the River Walk, admire the Suspension Bridge illuminated at night, or walk the revitalized stretches of downtown Waco, you are witnessing part of Bill’s legacy. He was there when it happened, and more often than not, he was quietly helping make it happen.

With degrees from Baylor University, a bachelor’s and a master’s in economics, and a Ph.D. in environmental design in urban and regional planning from Texas A&M, Bill brought both intellect and heart to his work. He believed careful planning, partnership, and persistence could make Waco a better place to live. He also enjoyed sharing his passion and knowledge of urban planning with the next generation, teaching graduate-level classes at Baylor University. He worked tirelessly, and without seeking credit, to help bring positive changes to the city he loved.

But Bill’s professional accomplishments tell only part of the story. His volunteer spirit seemed boundless. From Keep Texas Beautiful, where he served as President and helped bring the iconic “Don’t Mess with Texas” campaign to life, to the Waco Symphony Orchestra, Historic Waco Foundation, Keep Waco Beautiful, ALIVE, Community Race Relations Coalition, the Family Abuse Center, the Doris Miller Sculpture, the Waco Cultural Arts Festival, Leadership Waco, First Presbyterian Church (where he served as an elder and youth Sunday school teacher), Fuzzy Friends, and countless neighborhood associations, Bill gave his time and energy freely and joyfully.

Yet for all his civic vision and leadership, Bill’s greatest devotion was to his family. He was the steady presence when things were tough and the loudest and most enthusiastic supporter in every triumph, small or large. He always asked how you were doing, even when he could hardly speak. He forgave easily. He did what was right, always. He faced adversity with grace and met it with kindness. His children and grandchildren knew him as their most steadfast champion.

And then there was his laugh. Bill had the best laugh, full, loud and contagious. It would light up a room, soften a hard conversation, and remind everyone not to take themselves too seriously. Paired with his warm smile and gentle steadiness, it made people feel safe, valued, and seen. He had a remarkable ability to notice and acknowledge the beauty, both physical and inner, in people, places, and things.

His spirituality was steady and deeply rooted, expressed more through action than words. Even as dementia touched his later years, it never touched his goodness. His giving nature endured. His instinct to help endured. His habit of asking about those he loved endured.

Bill loved Waco. He loved its river, its neighborhoods, its people, its cultural heart, and its potential. He believed the longer you stayed in Waco, the more you enjoyed it, and in part because of his efforts, generations will.

If you ever heard that unmistakable laugh, received his encouragement, or saw your city a little more beautifully because of his vision, then you carry part of him. His strong spirit lives on in each of us and the city he touched.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Phyllis Ponder Falco; his parents; his brother, Joe Savaggo Falco Jr.; and his cherished dog, Pepe.

Bill is survived by his son, Carter Falco; his daughter, Leslie Falco Smith; his son-in-law, Eric Smith; and his grandchildren, Zephyr and Vix Smith and Maddie Socha.

Donations can be made in memory of Bill Falco to First Presbyterian Church of Waco, Cultural Arts of Waco (814 Elm Ave., Waco, Texas 76704) or your favorite organization benefitting Wacoans.

We invite you to leave a message or memory of Bill in his “Memorial Guestbook” at www.WHBfamily.com.