William S. "Bill" Martin

Bill Martin, 75, of Waco, died Monday, June 9, 2025, at his home.

The visitation will be at 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 24, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 25, at First Methodist Waco with Rev. Brandon Frenzel officiating. Burial will follow at Waco Memorial Park.

William Shelley Martin was born October 18, 1949, to William A. and Pawnee Wansley Martin, making his appearance almost as soon as his mother walked through the hospital doors—while his father was still parking the car. William must have been in a hurry, knowing that football season was well underway and he was missing it. Born in Beaumont, he arrived in Waco, his mother’s hometown, as soon as he could and attended Waco public schools, graduating from Richfield High School in 1968. A talented and dedicated athlete, particularly in football, and a good student, Bill attended Howard Payne College on both athletic and academic scholarships his freshman year, but completed his degree at Baylor University in May 1972.

During his college years, he married and became a father. In January 1970, Bill began his 42-year career in banking, starting as the mail boy at First National Bank of Waco—on the same day he brought his wife, Toni, and their newborn son, William Jeffery Martin, home from Hillcrest Hospital that morning. Bill remained in banking throughout his entire career, with tenures at First National Bank of Waco, Westview National Bank and its successor, United Bank, and, finally, First National Bank of Moody, from which he retired in 2010 after many years of service.

In the late 1990s, Bill married a second time, and daughter Callie Jean came into his life as a preschooler. Bill and Callie formalized their existing parent-child relationship with a legal adoption on June 11, 2002, when she was 10. Each year since, they celebrated “Adoption Day.”

Bill was an active member of the Waco Founder Lions Club since 1978 and served in all officer positions (President in 1999–2000, Tail Twister, and Program Committee Chair for many years). He was named Lion of the Year in 2007–08 and became a Life Member of the Texas Lions Camp for Children. Wednesdays were affectionately referred to in the family as his “Lions Club Day.” His many other civic activities included the Baylor-Waco Foundation, Heart of Texas Fair Board, MDA Chapter Treasurer, Sports & Recreation Chairman of the Waco Chamber of Commerce, President of the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame, and Co-Founder of the YMCA Academic All-Star Games. He also supported numerous youth sports organizations and the Midway High School Booster Club.

A lifelong supporter of Baylor Athletics since attending the Baylor–Rice game as a Cub Scout in 1958, Bill attended Baylor games in 18 states, including the Lady Bears’ first National Championship and the baseball team’s College World Series trip in 2005. He was a member of the Bear Foundation, Baseball Heart of the Order Club, and Lady Bears Tip-Off Club. Bill had been a season ticketholder for the College World Series since 1991, where he met fans from many teams and tailgated with his CWS-Omaha “extended family.” In Omaha, he was known and loved as “Baylor Bill,” always wearing his Baylor spirit wear—no matter who was on the field. He was doing his laundry, preparing for this year’s CWS trip, and washing his Baylor gear (no doubt), when he left us so unexpectedly.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents; both sets of grandparents, Pete and Maggie Martin (Troup) and Shellie and Billie Wansley (Waco); and maternal aunt and uncle, Kitty and A.C. “Buddy” Hawthorne (Waco).

He is survived by his son, William Jeffery Martin (Lisa Kettler Martin); daughter, Callie Jean Martin; grandsons, Rex William Martin and Grant Walter Martin; sisters, Beth Garrett and Carroll Martin (Clyde Bennett); nephews, Richard Powers (Elaine Turner) and Christopher Bennett (Sara-Jane Shepperd); nieces, Angela Tomecek and Brooke Bennett Galindo (Charles Lea Galindo, Jr.); five great-nieces, two great-nephews, and a few “grands.” He is also survived by Jeff’s mother, Toni Martin, and Callie’s mother, Melissa Such.

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