Bill Spivey

Bill Spivey of Lorena, Texas, fondly known as “Uncle Bill” – and lovingly called Papa by his grandchildren – passed away peacefully surrounded by family the evening of Sunday, February 15, 2026, in Waco, Texas, at the age of 76. Born on December 19, 1949, in Waco, Texas, Bill was and will forever be cherished and be a significant part of all the lives who knew him. He lived a devoted life to his family and close friends and was willing to help anyone in need. Bill was a hard worker, determined to provide for his family to give them a better life than he had. A loving brother, uncle, husband, father, grandfather, friend, leader in the surrounding communities and beyond, and will be greatly missed by so many.

He was the seventh oldest of eight children of Ivers Patterson Spivey II and Ethel Wayne Haley. He grew up on a dairy farm in East Waco until he had to transfer from La Vega to Lorena schools in junior high to work cattle off Chapel Road in Lorena for the family. He moved back to the dairy farm to milk cows in the ninth grade and started to play football for La Vega. A broken leg ended his football season in ninth grade, but he continued to play until his senior year when he had to stop to take care of his father and family farms. He and the love of his life, Debbie, graduated from La Vega and Bill served as senior class president for the class of 1968. Bill and Debra Kay Rager were married on October 24, 1969, and have shared over 56 years of marriage. They have known each other since the first grade at La Vega. Together they have organized and hosted numerous class of 1968 reunions and have stayed in close contact and shared many memories with about 40% of their graduating class.

After high school, Bill began his jack-of-all trades journey, learning from mentors in the equipment and construction businesses of Waco, Texas. He attended MCC for a couple of years while working at the Consumers Oil and Gas station. Soon after he went to work for Dick Richards owner of Richards Equipment for whom he would drive for and assist in the business. Mr. Richards taught Bill all about tools, how to operate equipment and play with dynamite per Debbie, which she found in her car where Bill had placed it for a time without telling her. He moved on to work for General Tire and later went to work for Texas Fine Magnetics. After the birth of their daughter, Christy, and son, Joshua, Bill and Debbie moved from Watt Street in Waco to Windy Lane in Lorena in 1979 where Bill continued to develop his skills and started Spivey’s Welding Service around 1980 and later incorporated in 1982.

While Bill and Debbie worked on their business and careers, they were significant in raising not only their own family but also the neighborhood kids at the top of Brandy Hill on Windy Lane in Lorena. All the neighborhood kids loved and adored playing with the Spivey family and all looked out for each other. So many memories of birthday parties, hayrides, riding four wheelers, killing rattle snakes, and chasing dogs, and eventually raising cattle. The Lorena class of 1990 (for Christy) and 1993 (for Joshua) will forever have fond memories of Bill and Debbie for all that they shared and did for them in their lives.

Bill had many hobbies – gun and knife collecting, photography, motorcycle riding, deer hunting, bow hunting, fishing, boating on many area lakes, pool parties, cattle ranching, smoking briskets, hosting family and high school reunions, eating ice cream and popcorn with pups and grandchildren, but most of all he loved mowing his place and riding in his big green John Deer tractor bailing hay for his beloved cattle, horses, and donkeys. He loved showing everyone, especially the grandchildren, his beloved cattle. Many were bottle-fed and raised and would follow him on the ATV around the pastures like puppies. He was an awesome protector of his family and cattle and hunted and shot many coyotes on the farm. We all shared beautiful sunsets visiting all that he had developed on his farm in Moody, Texas in the mid-to-late ‘90s. We’ll never be able to count just how many people he has taught about gun safety, shooting, and driving various vehicles in those blessed pastures.

Spivey’s Welding Service, Inc. has traveled all over the U.S.A. and the following are major projects that Bill’s business and right-hand man, Joe Hurst, and many other amazing employees have accomplished: Went to Victorville, California in the ‘80s and built concrete tilt wall storage facilities; built Harley Davidson facilities in Waco, Grand Prairie, Fort Worth, Euless / Bedford, Texas; Lock Joint Tube (LJT) industrial facility in Temple, Texas; built a new facility for West, Texas EMS and later rebuilt it again after the West fertilizer plant explosion and was later recognized by West EMS for his construction work; built numerous fire stations, convenience stores including fuel tank installations, industrial buildings, ranch facilities, homes, and has helped clean up environmental spills under his Petro Containment Services, Inc. business. Bill worked extensively with the Texas Water Commission board in 1989 and made recommendations for the development of regulations to be issued by the water commission for cleaning up old fuel tanks. He later served as the Elm Creek representative for Moody, Texas for the Bluebonnet Water board. After 45 years, Bill’s health declined and Spivey’s Welding Service, Inc. was retired in 2023. Bill was self-taught in AutoCad design and designed many drawings and worked with certified engineers to help make his passion for construction a reality and successful business. In his later years, he continued to teach his grandson Caedmon all about AutoCad systems and drafting.

Bill will be deeply missed by his beloved wife, Debbie; his daughter, Christy and her husband Kurt Garner and their children, Kayla and boyfriend Aaron Rauschhuber, Caedmon and his wife, Jesleigh, and Kendall; his son, Joshua and his wife, Whitney, and daughter Savannah; his sisters, Rose Bush and Betty Robertson; his brother, Michael Spivey and his wife, Linda and their children; and many nieces and nephews and their children, as well as numerous cousins and their families, and Uncle Joe Lawrence Spivey and Aunt Joan Spivey.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, brothers - Ivers Patterson Spivey III, Leslie Wayne Spivey, Bobby Joe Spivey, and sister - Patricia Ann Spivey Swope and Debbie’s parents, L.A. and Marie Rager whom he cherished as much as his own.

Friends and family are invited to gather and honor the remarkable life of a man who touched so many, leaving behind a legacy of love, laughter, and memories that will resonate in our hearts forever.

In Lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to https://www.caringbridge.org/site/37525ff4-0511-11f1-ac42-3be23c786d23, or to the charity of your choosing.