Billy W. Travis' Obituary
It is with tremendous sadness we inform you of the passing of Billy W. Travis at age 89. Bill was born in Huntington Arkansas in 1935, graduated from high school in 1953 then college in 1959 from Oklahoma State University (OSU) with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. While attending OSU, he met Jane, his wife of 68 years.
After almost 30 years in the aerospace industry, with Douglas Aircraft and flow meter sales with Foxboro Company, Bill tackled a new career. He co-founded Hydrant Repair Parts, Inc. (HRPI) in 1985 and D&B Machining, Inc, (D&B) in 1990 with his long-time friend Don Porter, who proceeded him in death. This partnership was the beginning of Bill’s 40-year service to the water works industry. With HRPI, Bill immediately took the lead in marketing the stems and parts. In the first 3 years of business, sales doubled each year as a result of his “down-to-earth” approach to engaging with customers and clients. He proceeded to grow the companies from a single model extension to a much-expanded product line of extensions and parts that encompassed three generations of family. The expansions of HRPI & D&B were enhanced by the purchases of FasCast, a ductile iron foundry, and most recently, FasCoating, a porcelain coating business.
Bill was an avid supporter of OSU. He and Jane have been honored across the campus for their generosity to the engineering department in honor of their daughter, Cynthia R. Travis, who also graduated from OSU. On most Saturdays in the fall, you could find Bill in his “assigned” seat in his football suite. For many years, Bill and Jane would attend every football game traveling across the country from West Virginia to Oregon. They also spent time traveling North America and the world, most often to test the fairways and greens, then returning home to regale their tales and adventures to anyone that would listen.
Bill was a man who made an impression on everyone he met. In his younger days, he played basket ball and became an avid runner, finishing numerous 15k races. He was a Christian man, deeply rooted in his faith, stating one of his life lessons was constantly “Asking God for guidance”. Bill was also a man of great integrity, a strong work ethic, driven to succeed, demanding and opinionated, but also compassionate and generous. On many occasions he quietly assisted people in their time of need, but he never asked for anything in return or assistance. He will be deeply missed not only by family, but by his professional community and anyone who made his acquaintance. His memory and legacy will live on for generations.
Services will be held at the First United Methodist Church, 112 East College St., Broken Arrow, OK 74012 on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 11:00 am. A reception at the church will follow the service.
Donations in memoriam may be made to: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org https://secure.osugiving.com/s/giving/engineering-architecture-and-technology
The service will be livestreamed for those friends and family members who are unable to attend the service. Please click the following link to access the service livestream.\
https//www.youtube.com@firstchurchba
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