William Howard “Bill” Fielder, 79, of Brownwood, died Saturday, October 24, at the Senior Care of Brownwood from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.
Bill was born July 17, 1936, in Fort Worth, Texas. He spent most of his early years in Grapevine, Texas, where he helped his parents with the day-to-day operation of the family’s restaurants, peeling potatoes and washing dishes before he was old enough to reach the sink without a stepstool. He graduated from Grapevine High School in 1954 and attended Abilene Christian College for two years while also working full-time at Doc’s Better Burger.
It was there Bill first saw Darlene, and winked at her until he got her attention; they began dating soon after and were married on June 14, 1958. Darlene was the absolute love of his life for more than six decades; they had three daughters and seven grandchildren.
Bill was a longtime member of the Austin Avenue Church of Christ, where he served as an elder for 31 years. He was a deeply devoted Christian and a daily reader of the Bible who could quote scripture in detail. He lived his life as an example and touched so many people along his journey.
Bill worked for Montgomery Ward for more than 25 years, starting his career in Abilene as a clerk in the shoe department and rising to become the manager of the Brownwood store in 1972. After leaving Montgomery Ward, Bill opened the Triple T Grill in 1983, and it quickly became one of the most popular fast-food spots in Brownwood. He retired from Triple T in 1998 so that he would have more time for his family, his church, and his work with several civic organizations, including the Kiwanis Club and CASA.
Bill is survived by his wife, Darlene Luna Fielder; daughters and sons-in-law, Tammy and Michael Ditmore, Tanya and Thomas Graham, and Traci and Ron Hambric; a brother and sister-in-law, Harry and Jean Fielder; seven grandchildren, Bailee, J.T., and William Graham; Tyler and Jonathan Ditmore; and Briana and Kinsey Van Dyne; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and stepparents, Ruth and Jack Driscoll and Dan and Mildred Fielder.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. at Heartland Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held at 2:30 PM on Wednesday at Austin Avenue Church of Christ. Burial will follow in Eastlawn Memorial Park.
Memorial donations can be made to Cherokee Children’s Home.
Condolences can be left online for the family at heartlandfuneralhome.net
