William W. Toon

William Walker Toon (Bill) was born in Dallas, Texas, on May 29, 1944. He died June 3, 2015, at his home in Richardson, Texas, with Brenda, his best friend and wife of 25 years, at his side.

He was a friend to all he met, lending an ear without judgement and giving generously to those who needed a hand.

Known for his keen sense of humor and dry wit, Bill was also wise and analytical (sometimes to a fault) and liked to identify solutions to difficult problems.

He was good with his hands and reveled in tinkering with antique furniture and his 1949 Chevrolet, which he fully restored. He was an avid collector of various memorabilia including Toys R Us products and household goods from the 50s and 60s.

Bill attended Dallas schools and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School. He attended University of Texas at Arlington, then graduated from East Texas State University (now Texas A&M University - Commerce) where he pledged Sigma Chi fraternity.

He spent two years in the U.S. Army. His unit was waiting to be sent to Vietnam but was diverted to South Korea when the USS Pueblo was captured by North Korean forces in 1968. He completed his Army service in military intelligence in Hawaii.

After being discharged, he worked as a sales representative before joining Toys R Us in 1979 where he worked for 21 years. At the time of his retirement in 2000, he was customer relations director for more than 90 stores.

He then worked with various destination management companies in the Dallas area.

He married his former wife, Beth Ann Cummings, and relished his role as father to her daughter, Kimberly Dale Harris Gilmore; and their son James Roland Toon. He was a single parent to James for 13 years before he married Brenda Dickey Gilmer in 1990, becoming stepfather to her children, Deanna Renee Gilmer (Sidley) and David Stanley Gilmer II.

Until his illness, Bill was an active member of Prestonwood Baptist Church, taking several mission trips to Romania and Colombia where he was happy to share the faith that sustained him in his daily life.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert E. Toon and Lucy Edwards Toon Bradley; a sister Sara Ann Toon; and a brother, Robert E. Toon Jr.

He is survived by his wife, Brenda Toon of Richardson, Texas; daughters, Kimberly Gilmore and her husband Thomas of Seattle, Wash., and Deanna Sidley and her husband Matt of Dallas; sons James Toon of Plano and David Gilmer and his wife Jennifer of Valley View, Texas; grandsons, Grant Gilmore and Max Gilmore; and granddaughters Brianna Toon, Scarlett Sidley and Margot Sidley; other relatives and friends.