William “Bill” Bunyan Graves, Jr.

Published 11:41 am Tuesday, May 31, 2016

William “Bill” Bunyan Graves, Jr., 89, of Port Neches, Texas passed away Saturday, May 28, 2016 in Port Neches, Texas after a lengthy illness.

Bill was born February 20, 1927 in Glenmora, Louisiana to William Bunyan Graves and Clare Patrick Graves.  He was a resident of Port Neches since 1950.

Bill attended L.S.U. briefly, graduated from Lamar University in Beaumont by attending night school.  He was an English major with a minor in Spanish.  Bill served his country in the U.S. Navy from 1945-1946 and was discharged at the end of World War II.     He worked for the U.S. Forest Service near Mt. Shasta, California during summer breaks at L.S.U.  Bill moved to Port Neches in 1950 to work at Texas U.S. Rubber and later, Ameripol-Synpol as a Process Operator.  Bill retired after 32 years of service there.   His favorite things in life were spending time with family, fishing, gardening, playing bluegrass music on his fiddle and mandolin, L.S.U. football, and visiting his hometown Glenmora, Louisiana.

Funeral services will be Wednesday, June 1, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. at Levingston Funeral Home, Port Neches, with Mr. Mike Nicholas officiating.  Graveside services will be at 3:00 p.m. Wednesday June 1, at Old Glenmora Cemetery in Glenmora, Louisiana.

Visitation for family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at Levingston Funeral Home in Port Neches.

Bill is preceded in death by his wife of 46 years, Barbara Jean Gassiott Graves, and also by a sister, Eleanor Graves Blackburn.

Surviving relatives include his daughter, Nancy Rendall and husband Geoff; son, Charles Graves and wife Tammy; grandchildren, John Rendall, and Jenny O’Neal and husband Tyler; Charlie Graves and wife April, Allison Rendall, Chase Rendall, Caitlin Graves; great-grandchildren, Autumn, Pierce, Colby, Avery, Conner, Easton, and special friend, Mary Forsythe, and son Newton.  Numerous nieces and nephews who thought the world of Uncle Bunn.  Very special caregivers Adela, Ivony and Waldina.

Memorial Contributions may be made to St Jude Children’s Hospital or any Veteran’s Group Charity.