Bill Herndon died in Dallas on July 5, 2026 at the age of 101.
Born April 14, 1925, Bill was raised in the Texas Panhandle, the son of W. C. and Elsie Collins Herndon. He graduated from Perryton High School and entered the University of Texas at Austin in 1942.
After one year he joined the military and saw active duty in Europe and the Philippines as a machine gun platoon sergeant with the 86th Infantry Blackhawk Division. After his stint in the military, he returned to the University of Texas where he was active in campus activities, being elected to the Friar Society, the Texas Cowboys, and was President of his fraternity, Delta Tau Delta.
He received his law degree in 1950 and moved back to Perryton. After a short time, he moved to Dallas to join the law firm of Turner, White, Atwood, McClane and Francis. He subsequently formed the firm of Herndon, Abramson and Swift, later succeeded by Herndon and Foxman.
He obtained a Master’s of Law degree from SMU in 1970 and became board certified in Probate and Estate Planning.
He later became a Sole Practitioner, and specialized in oil and gas law as well as probate and estate planning. He officially retired in 2019.
He is survived by his sister, Anne Cullen; daughter, Blossom Horton and husband, Brad, his son, Wes Herndon; five grandchildren – Lucas Horton and wife, Monica; Travis Horton and wife Gina; Lila Stewart and husband Jeremy; Barrett Horton and wife Zoe; and Riley Herndon and fiancé Connor McGill; and eight great-grandchildren – Taryn Horton, Hutch, Leo, Sonny and Beau Horton, Aiden and Callan Stewart; and Lula Mae Horton; and nephew Mark Cullen.
The family is holding a private Celebration of Life at a later date.