William (Bill) Michael Galligan
William Galligan, 73, passed on Thursday, May 11, 2023 after a brief battle with cancer. Bill was born October 30, 1949 to Eugene and Joanna Galligan in Monroe, Louisiana. Bill was the second born, joining brother Eugene (Gene); later their family would grow by two more with Karen and Robert (Bob).
Bill loved fishing and playing baseball growing up and you could often find him on the banks of Bayou DeSiard trying to catch a big one. He attended Neville High School and Northeast Louisiana University where he studied mathematics, joined the Kappa Sigma fraternity and served as treasurer. At Northeast he met the love of his life, Martha (Mitzie) Maxwell. After graduation, Bill and Mitzie moved to Beaumont, Texas when Bill joined Baroid Drilling Fluids, a company he would stay with until he retired 37 years later. Every year, Bill would help organize the infamous Baroid BBQ cookoff where he would take his job as coordinator very seriously. Later Bill and Mitzie would move to Katy, Texas where they would start their family. They retired to Toledo Bend Lake where they both enjoyed fishing. Bill and Mitzie were married 49 years.
Everyone who met Bill was won over by his charm. He was charismatic, funny, and always had a turn of phrase to make you laugh.
Cooking was one of Bill’s favorite pastimes. The kitchen was the heart of the home when Bill was in it and everyone looked forward to his pizzas, dutch babies, chicken and dumplings, and peach cobbler. He was a loyal Astros fan, even through those dark years when it wasn’t so easy. You could often find him “resting his eyes” in his favorite recliner while watching sports.
Bill was a wonderful father, often sacrificing holidays and weekends to watch his kids play soccer; this loyalty continued as he had grandchildren and would travel all over to watch countless soccer and baseball games. He loved traveling to new fishing destinations, most recently being enamored by the White River in Arkansas.
He was an active member of the Toledo Bend Lake Association, where he served as Secretary. He grew to be a wine connoisseur and enjoyed supper club with his friends at the Cypress Bend Resort. If you were lucky, you might see his weather reports on TV where he acted as the local meteorologist.
Bill is surrounded in love by his wife, Mitzie, son William (Bryan) and wife Tiffany, daughter Michelle and husband Cory Ormsby, grandchildren Mason, William (Blake), Carter, and Beckham, brother Gene and his wife Ellen, sister Karen and her husband Fred Freeland, brother Bob, sister-in-law Marilynn Waller, sister-in-law Carolyn and her husband Jimmy Goodman, nephews Michael Waller, James Goodman, Jason Willhite, Kyle Galligan, Chad Galligan, and nieces Meg Harris, Wendy Colvin, and the late Rachael Galligan.
To honor Bill’s wishes, there will not be a service. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Toledo Bend Lake Association, Sabine Humane Society, or a charity of your choice.
