Obituary

John Price McWilliams, 56, died Thursday, Sept. 15, 2011, in Plainview, Texas, after a long illness. He was a well-loved father, son, brother, colleague and friend. John was born Dec. 29, 1954, in Plainview, Texas. He graduated from Plainview High School in 1973. The upstairs room at John's house was the place to be during high school to listen to music on the stereo that was always playing; his record collection was second to none. He graduated from Baylor University with a bachelor's degree in history in 1977. After undergraduate school, he worked in Austin at the Texas State Capitol and then decided to go to law school, graduating from Texas Tech Law School in 1981. He fell in love with Austin, so he returned to look for a job after law school. Always the joker, one of his early job-hunting strategies was to put his resume on windshields on Sixth Street. Workers compensation law became John's specialty area of law practice. He practiced with the Austin law firms of Harris & Harris, Gray & Becker and Flahive, Ogden & Latson for more than 20 years. He concluded his legal career at his own law office. Preceded in death by his father, Joe Henry McWilliams, John is survived by his beloved mother, Mary Ann McWilliams. His three daughters, Caroline, Sally and Annie, were his pride and joy, and their mother, Debbie Alsup, remained a good friend until his death. He is also survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Katie and Jim Millis, and his brother and sister-in-law, Bruce and Lori McWilliams, who were a great support to John, and his nephews and niece, Dane, Joseph and Anna McWilliams. A friend observed that when someone dies, only love remains. We will always love John for his wit, his wide smile, the endless mix-tapes he made, his pitch-perfect imitations and his laugh that filled a room. May he now have the peace that he longed for. A celebration of his life will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18 at First Baptist Church Family Life Chapel in Plainview. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson's Disease Association or to a charity of your choice. Arrangements are under the care of Kornerstone Funeral Directors of Plainview. Online condolences may be made at www.kornerstonefunerals.com.