Coach William Wayne “Bill” McCurley, 90, of Imboden, Arkansas, passed away on Thursday, December 3, 2020. Bill was born on Sunday, February 23, 1930, in Pleasant Grove, Arkansas, to Ervie Wayne and Onah Dockins McCurley.
Bill graduated high school in 1949, where he was an avid basketball player and was awarded by making both the All District and State Tournament All Tournament Teams.
Bill attended Arkansas State Teachers College, where he was captain of the men’s basketball team and was awarded All-AIC. He graduated in 1953 and began his long coaching career.
In 1956, Bill moved to Imboden, where he spent the next thirty-six years coaching and mentoring hundreds of students that passed through Sloan-Hendrix Public Schools.
During his successful coaching career, Bill was awarded ten Sportsmanship trophies. In 2006, Bill was honored for his many years at Sloan-Hendrix. Then in 2009, he was honored once again with the dedication of the Bill McCurley Gymnasium. Bill was later inducted into the Lawrence County Hall of Fame, in 2017.
Bill’s spirit of faithfulness, determination to produce, and willingness to work hard, along with his love and care for others, are only a few of the qualities that made Bill who he was, and will be missed by those who knew him.
Bill also enjoyed a long career in Real Estate and loved to hunt and fish, but most of all, he enjoyed playing, coaching and watching basketball, baseball and softball.
Bill is preceded in death by his parents, Ervie Wayne and Onah Dockins McCurley.
Bill is survived by his wife, of sixty-three years, Gloria Floyd McCurley, of the home; and daughter, Lizanna McCurley, of Imboden; and many friends, loved ones, and those whose lives he touched throughout his life.
Services for Coach Bill will be on Sunday, December 6, 2020. A drive-by visitation be held from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, at the Bill McCurley Gymnasium, on the campus of Sloan-Hendrix Public School. A graveside service will begin at 3:10 pm, at the Hope Cemetery; Jerry Clements officiating.
Pallbearers are Jim Jones, Dave Matthews, Eddie Witt, Tim Hawkins, Randy Guthrie, Dan Matthews, Britt Conrad, and Jerald Hudspeth.
All of Coach Bill’s former ball players are honorary pallbearers.
A drive thru service will be conducted for Coach Bill McCurley on Sunday at 1pm at the Bill McCurley Gymnasium on the campus of Sloan Hendrix School.
Coach Bill McCurley will lie in state behind the glass of the gym entrance accompanied by family. Due to the current Covid risk and restrictions the service will be a drive thru only.
Graveside services will be conducted by Jerry Clements at 3:10 pm at Hope Cemetery in Imboden, the funeral procession is expected to leave the campus of Sloan Hendrix at 3pm.
The funeral is being directed by Hope Garden Funeral Home of Pocahontas.
In lieu of flowers the family will be establishing a Bill McCurley Scholarship Fund to be awarded each year. Those who would like to donate to the scholarship fund will need to contact Clifford Rorex at the Sloan- Hendrix Administration office at a later date.