William Austin "Bill" Higgins

William Austin (Bill) Higgins passed peacefully into Heaven, October 5, 2021, at his daughter's home in College Station, Texas. He was born September 24, 1938, in Houston Texas, to Cameron and Alma (Segelquist) Higgins. He was the eighth of nine children and grew up in the Houston and Alvin area. He graduated from Reagan High School in 1958 in Houston and married his High School sweetheart and love of his life, Dorothy Ward. Over the next twelve years, they added four daughters and one son to their family. Bill always loved working outside and farmed rice alongside his dad and brothers for many years. He also was a self-taught carpenter and worked in home construction and taught himself through a correspondence course how to repair A/C, refrigerators, and appliances. He owned and operated Higgins AC/Heating, and later Higgins Appliance in Alvin. He and Dorothy also traveled doing insurance adjusting after many hurricanes across the Gulf Coast and Eastern United States. Anything he wanted to do, he would figure out a way to learn how to do it and get it done! He was usually self-employed and hired many nephews and other young people through the years. Anyone who ever worked with him, for him, or just met him was introduced to his best friend, Jesus and given the opportunity to make Him their best friend too! Many did, and this was Bill's greatest joy! Bill accepted Christ at a young age and was baptized at Baptist Temple in Houston Texas, where he and Dorothy were also married. He grew in the Lord over the years and was an active member and served as a Sunday School teacher, Deacon, and mentor in several churches in Alvin and Hallettsville. In recent years, he was a member of Heights Baptist Church in Alvin. Next to his relationship with God, Bill loved his family! He cherished each child, grandchild and great grandchild added to the family as well as his many nieces and nephews. He loved babies and never tired of holding, rocking, and singing to each and every one of them. He spent countless hours barbecuing the best and most tender brisket, ribs, and sausage anyone ever tasted. Family get-togethers always included "PaPa's brisket" which made them even more special. There is a huge empty hole in everyone's heart who knew and loved Bill. There is not enough space to put into words how much he was loved and how much he meant to so many. We can only endure his loss in the comfort of knowing without a doubt that he is completely well, happy and at peace for eternity with the Savior, Jesus Christ and we will be with him too someday. As he would tell us when other loved ones passed, "God says, ‘A day is like a thousand years to Him and a thousand years a day. Even though we are sad being left here, it is really only a day or so until we will all be together again!'" Bill is preceded in death by his parents; brothers: LaRue Higgins, Stanley Higgins and wife, Ruth, Johnny Higgins and wife, Lana; brother-in-law: Joe Turner; sister-in-law: Phyllis Higgins; father and mother-in-law: W. Vince and Bessie Ward; and sister-in-law and brother-in-law: Bonnie and Al Cole. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Dorothy Higgins; children: Tammy Wyers and husband Jeff, Pam Evans and husband Tom, Cindy Kraft and husband Joe, Billy Higgins and wife Kelli, Teresa Garris and husband David; sisters: Ernestine Long and JoAnn Tuner; brothers: Frank (Buddy) Higgins and wife Anna Lee, Harry Higgins and wife, Glenda, Mike Higgins and wife Jackie; and sister-in-law: Marian Higgins; and sister-in-law and brother-in-law: Betty and Theron Spradley. He is also survived by twenty-two grandchildren, ten grands in law, and twenty-two great grandchildren, with two more on the way; special, loved friends, Roger & Barbara Manis, John & Jean Pever, Bill & Christina Derickson and Eloy Huerta; as well as many more much-loved nieces, nephews, and friends. Service Details. Visitation When Tuesday, October 12th, 2021 12:00pm - 1:00pm Location Heights Baptist Church Address 1591 County Road 144 ALVIN, TX 77511 Service When Tuesday, October 12th, 2021 1:00pm Location Heights Baptist Church Address 1591 County Road 144 ALVIN, TX 77511 Family and friends are coming together online to create a special keepsake. Every memory left on the online obituary will be automatically included in this book. View Tribute Book