William "Bill" Edward Platt Jr.

William Edward "Bill" Platt Jr. died peacefully on October 1, 2018 at 9:48 a.m. in Bella Vista, Arkansas at the age of 83. Bill is survived by his wife Barbara Ann "Bobbie" Young Platt; his sons Mark Gregory Platt, and William Edward "Ed" Platt III; his granddaughters Abigail Ivy Platt and Caroline Rose Platt; and his sisters Mary Ann Platt Miller and Carolyn Sue Platt Kuykendall. He is preceded in death by his son Robert Glenn Platt and his sister Wanda Rose Platt. Bill was born on August 21, 1935 in Wink, Texas to William Edward Platt and Rosa Mae Murphy Platt. His family moved to Eunice, Louisiana where he met and married Bobbie in 1959, and then to Lafayette, Louisiana, where Bill graduated from the Southwestern Louisiana Institute with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, in 1960. Bill left Louisiana and took his family to Indian Head, Maryland to test missiles for the Air Force, where he was soon recruited to join the newly formed Mission Control Center at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Bill was accomplished at his job and worked in the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Sky Lab and Shuttle programs for NASA. His role in the "race to the moon" was as an Assistant Flight Control Director at JSC's Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas. Near the end of his career at NASA, Bill was recruited to manage the relationship between NASA and Rockwell International, the general contractor for the Shuttle program. Bill took early retirement from NASA and went to work for Rockwell, and retired from Rockwell in 1998. Bill was a gentle and generous man, who loved his family, reading and learning. He was passionate about his faith in God, and was an active and dedicated member of his local church, serving for many years as a deacon and Sunday school teacher. For several years he volunteered with the Baptist Men of Texas building houses and volunteering in disaster relief efforts. Bill also possessed an adventurous and inquisitive spirit, and over the years enjoyed underwater photography, scuba diving, regatta sailboat racing, snow skiing, furniture building and most importantly – golf! A funeral is scheduled for 4 p.m., Saturday, October 6, at the Bella Vista Funeral Home, with a reception to follow. George Archer, longtime family friend and Minister, will officiate the ceremony. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Bill's life. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Circle of Life at www.nwacircleoflife.org. The family would like to thank Circle of Life and Brightstar caregivers for their dedication and loving care provided during the last few months of Bill's life. On-line condolences may be made at www.funeralmation.com.