William Porter "Bill" Huckabee

William Porter "Bill" Huckabee, 70, of Sweetwater, departed from Hendrick Hospice Care to ride the heavenly bicycle trails on Tuesday, November 14, 2023.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, November l8, 2023 at 2:00 P.M., at the Marqueza Event Center located at 301 Oak Street in Sweetwater.

Bill was born October 23, l953 to Monte Huckabee and Julia (Mayes) Huckabee.  Bill attended Sweetwater High School and then joined the U.S. Navy and served on the USS Ranger during the Vietnam War.  Bill served as an Ordanceman where he maintained and cleaned explosives' magazines, assembled bombs and other ordinances, and received security clearance to handle nuclear weapons.  He was discharged in 1975 and went to work for M-System Food stores as Produce Manager.  In 1978, he went to work as a Semi-Truck and Trailer operator.  He continued this until 1981.  He then became the shipping department manager of Ludlum Measurements.  Working his way through the ranks at Ludlum Measurements for 33 years holding the positions of Nuclear Products Salesman and finally Radiation Safety Officer.  During this time, he traveled internationally and shared his love for travel with his oldest grandson, Brenden.  He spoke fondly of the different traditions and cultures he experienced.  He retired from Ludlum Measurements in 2016.  During his employment and into retirement Bill supported local students by volunteering for the reading program HOSTS that turned into Project Read.  He never missed a day if he could help it and enjoyed his time with the students.  Bill loved helping his community and others.  He and Paula sponsor children through WorldVision children's charities.  They sponsored a child in India for 15 years until he aged out of the program and recently began sponsoring another child from Africa.  Bill was a member and served as an Elder for First Presbyterian Church in Sweetwater.

He was an avid bicycle rider, riding in races across Texas with his grandson Brenden, brother Dwain, and nephew Jace.  He then started riding long distances, covering 100 miles a week.  He then increased his mileage to 50 miles a day, camping at Lake Colorado City, Buffalo Gap State Park, and other areas within the radius.  He decided to go further and biked to Amarillo to visit his grandson, Brenden.  In 2017, Bill set his sights higher and set off to take a cross country bike ride.  His goal was to ride to the Geographic Center of the Contiguous United States in Lebanon, Kansas.  After achieving that goal, he decided he was not done and kept riding.  He continued riding until he reached Fargo, North Dakota.  As he told Tumbleweed Smith in 2019, "I knew I would forever regret not going to the border of Canada.  So I went to the Canadian border, almost straight up from Fargo."  His favorite road story was a response from a gentleman to the common question about being by himself on the road.  The gentleman asked, "You're married, aren't you?"  He continued to ride his bicycle and camp in local areas until the onset of his illness.

Bill is survived by his wife of 43 years, Paula (Bentle) Huckabee of Sweetwater; daughter Dawn Huckabee of Ballinger, grandson, Brenden Huckabee of Sweetwater and Blake Ballenger of San Angelo; brother Dwain and wife Kim of Plano (daughter Elizabeth, son Bryce Lurkens and wife, Ashlynn of Frisco, TX); brother Kurt and wife Cindy of Sweetwater, (son Brian McDonnell and wife Chelsea (son, Parker and daughter, Malia of Burleson, TX): son Scott Huckabee (son, Owen and daughter, Vallie of Sweetwater); daughter, Kristina Chavira and husband Arik (daughter, Avery, Autum, and Adalyn of Merkel); sister-in-law Tammy Dickson, husband Heath (son Holten) of Roby; sister-in-law Kathy Rosson, husband Tommy of Sweetwater (son TJ, wife Haley and son Jack of Morgantown, WV, son Jarod Rosson, wife Isabell and daughter Evelyn of Rockwall); sister-in-law Robin Bentle (son Christopher Rieger and wife Leah of Puyallup, WA, son Jon Murphy and wife Alex of Olympia, WA); sister-in-law Jana Bentle (daughter Jordan Bentle of Sweetwater, son Jace Bentle, wife Lauren and son Matthew of Anna, TX).   He will also be missed by his beloved great-granddog, Yeti and his beloved dog, Jack.

Bill was preceded in death by his father and mother, Monte and Julia Huckabee, brother Monte Edward Huckabee, brothers-in-law Bobby Jack Bentle and Joe Marvin Bentle, niece Brittany Rieger, and nephew Hayden Dickson.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Nurture Nolan, WorldVision Children's Charities, or The Presbyterian Home for Children.