Texas Highway Patrol, rodeo clown, Silver Dollar City, two Six Flags Texas parks highlighted long career

CEDAR HILL, Texas — William “Bill” Hays White, 67, of Cedar Hill passed away Monday, May 26, 2014, surrounded by family and close friends.

Bill was born Aug. 24, 1946, in Bryan-College Station. Known as “Bull” to his six doting granddaughters, Bill graduated from A&M Consolidated High School in 1964 and from Texas A&M University in 1968.

Larger than life, Bill lived more in his 67 years than most people could in three lifetimes. He always said he had done the three things all little boys dreamed of doing someday: He was a policeman, rodeo cowboy and rodeo clown, and “ran away with the circus” (worked for theme parks).

“Wild Willie,” as he was affectionately called in his rodeo days, was an undercover narcotics agent for the Texas Highway Patrol for many years and then worked for Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo., and retired from Six Flags Over Texas and Hurricane Harbor in Arlington in 2007.

Reflecting on his years with the two Arlington parks [Six Flags Over Texas and Hurricane Harbor], park President Steve Martindale told AT: “Bill White was a huge influence on all that had the good fortune to know him. He was a consummate operator, strategist, mentor and friend. It was a privilege and a blessing for the Six Flags Team to have had Bill as part of our family for 18 years. He will truly be missed.”

A celebration of Bill’s life was held on May 31 at his barn. The family has requested that memorial donations be made to the Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers Foundation.

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