Willam David Colley

Bill’s talents were endless: mechanic, builder, metal worker—you name it, he could do it, or he’d figure out how. Friends often brought him pictures of projects they found online, and within hours, Bill would show up at their house with it already completed. He was always willing to drop everything and help at a moment’s notice. Bill truly had a servant’s heart.

That heart showed most in his 43+ years with the Deanville Volunteer Fire Department. He served 10 years as Assistant Fire Chief and the last 17 years as Fire Chief. He was also the department’s mechanic, keeping every truck and piece of equipment ready for service. Bill even helped build several trucks from the ground up. His proudest project was transforming an old Army truck into a brush and rough-terrain vehicle affectionately named “The Deuce.”

Bill also helped build and complete the department’s fire station complex and played a key role in every fundraiser’s success. He even built some of the first fryers used to make Deanville’s famous fried chicken. Whether he was working—or hiding from Debbie—we may never know, but Bill spent countless hours at the fire station. His handiwork can be found in nearly every corner of the department, which was truly embedded in his body and soul.

Bill was born August 22, 1953, in Houston, Texas, to Johnnie Dan and Odessa Love. He was the loving older brother to Beverly and Kay. He graduated from Cy-Fair High School in 1971, and shortly after graduation, his family moved to Rockdale. There, he began working at Gaither Motor Company as an assistant mechanic—a trade that became his life’s work.

When the family returned to Burleson County, Bill worked for Burleson County Implements, the local John Deere dealership, before moving on to Caldwell ISD as a bus mechanic. It was there he met his future wife, Debbie Gerdes. They married on November 22, 1975, and made their home in Deanville.

Bill went on to work for Jurica Motor Company, the International dealership in Caldwell, where he served as primary mechanic and also drove the delivery truck, sometimes traveling across the country to pick up new equipment. After Jurica’s closed, he briefly worked for Burleson County Road & Bridge, Precinct 1, before starting with the City of Caldwell in 1995 as the city mechanic—a job he proudly held for 25 years.

During that time, Mr. Bill Broaddus asked him to help Dr. Joe Smith build a sculpture out of old parts from the old Vykukal Gin for the new Civic Center—a lasting piece of Bill’s handiwork that still stands today.

Bill’s legacy will live on through his community and, most of all, through his family: his wife of 47 years, Debbie Gerdes Colley; daughters Mary Elizabeth and Doug Dean and Jessica Ann and Jason Muzny; and his pride and joy—his grandchildren: granddaughters Shelia Grace Budnik (Tanner Hurt), Madyson Alexandrea Muzny, Kymber Rachel Dean (Jerry Aleman); and grandsons Weston Kade Muzny and Dalton Cade Dean (Danielle Parmer). He is also survived by his sisters Kay Lynne Colley and Beverly Ann Telg, sister-in-law Barbara Ann Gerdes Smith, and their families.

Bill had a servant’s heart, and it seemed there was always something for him to do. Like all volunteer firefighters, he often found himself in the middle of situations that would make most people run away—but he and his colleagues ran straight toward the danger instead. As only the second Fire Chief in Deanville Fire Department history, Bill’s heart was always with the department and the people it served.

Bill lived a life of service, love, and purpose. He fulfilled his duty to his family, his community, and his God. Now, he has earned his eternal rest.