Graveside services for William “Bill” Warren Spragins, 87, of Phoenix, AZ will be at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, August 17, 2013 at Greenville Cemetery. He died Wednesday, August 7, 2013 at Scottsdale Heritage Court in Phoenix. Burial is under the direction of Boone Funeral Home, Greenville.
Mr. Spragins was born January 16, 1926 in Aberdeen, MS the son of Charles Allen and Ruth Waite Spragins. He graduated from Clarksdale High School and graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in physics. Honors include Phi Beta Kappa in physics. He served in the U. S. Navy during World War II. After the war, he moved to Clarksdale where he farmed for nine years with his brother Sonny. In 1956 he moved to Phoenix and began a distinguished career as a performance engineer for Air Research which later became Honeywell Corporation. Bill had a passion for classic cars. He chauffeured many newlyweds and distinguished guests such as Barry Goldwater to events in his 1929 Packard limousine. He was an active member of the Buick and Packard Clubs and the Honeywell Retirement Club.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his step-father Jack Gaston, his sister Ruth Spragins Krattler, his brother C. A. (Sonny) Spragins, and great-nephew Peck Spragins Cranston.
He is survived by his nephew Allen Spragins (Sherry) of Greenville; niece, Suzie Cranston (Phil) of Jackson; niece Martha Johnston (Gene) of Ridgeland, and sister-in-law Olivia Spragins of Ridgeland. He is also survived by many great nieces and great nephews and their children. In Phoenix he is survived by several close friends.
A visitation was held on Saturday, August 10, 2013 to celebrate his life at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home in Phoenix.