William Daniel

William (Bill) Overton Daniel, Jr. of Amarillo, TX. went home to be with Jesus on May 28, 2021. Funeral services will be held at LaGrone Blackburn Shaw on South Coulter Wednesday, June 2. Paul Pinkston will officiate the service.

Bill will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Lana; his daughters, Laurie Ortega (Paul) and Christy Errington, also of Amarillo; stepchildren Mandy Winter (Scott) of Cypress, and Jake Goodnight (Traci) of Midland; grandchildren Dalton Lambden; Stephanie, Reece, Alice, Ross, and Grace Errington; Mercy, Ember, and Shepherd Goodnight; Jackson Winter; and Logan and Olivia Ortega. Bill will also be remembered by his brother, Bobby and wife Karen Daniel of Nipomo, CA.

Bill was born to William Daniel, Sr. and wife Lucille on June, 25 1938 in Dallas, TX. Bill graduated from North Texas State University in 1960 with a B.S. in Business and was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. Upon graduation, Bill began his career in Dallas, following in his father’s footsteps into the field of insurance. In 1965, an opportunity to advance his career brought him to Amarillo to work for Southwest Insurance Company, where Bill spent his 32 year career, though the company experienced many ownership changes. Soon after moving to Amarillo, Bill and his first wife, Shirley, welcomed daughter, Christy. Their second daughter, Laurie, was born in 1968, to her father’s delight. Bill was a proud, loving father and involved family man.

Bill had a long and successful career, but was especially passionate about his service to the community, particularly in the area of education. While serving on the Amarillo ISD School Board in 1994, Bill presented the Achievement through Commitment to Education (ACE) program to the Board for adoption. Financially supported by the Amarillo Area Foundation (AAF), the program thrived for decades and provided college scholarships to thousands of Amarillo students. Bill received great joy in seeing students and others around him succeed. Bill served on numerous other boards throughout the years including the Amarillo Area Foundation and the BSA Board of Directors.

Bill married his beloved Lana, in 2004. He preferred to call Lana “Pretty” or “Baby”, seldom calling her by her given name. Together they enjoyed spending time with their children and grandchildren as well as hunting, fishing, and raising horses.

Bill’s family and friends will remember his quick wit, colorful stories, and great generosity. Bill loved going to church on Sundays, attending via the internet for the last few years. Bill always had a tender heart for God. You could be sure if he was praying over dinner, there would be tears (mostly his). Please join the family in celebrating Bill’s life and his arrival in heaven.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that any donations in his honor be made to either of the following:

Lewy Body Dementia Association

912 Killian Hill Road, S.W.

Lilburn, GA 30047

Lbda.org

Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch

600 SW 11th Ave.

Amarillo, TX 79101 - 3228

Calfarley.org