On December 13, 2016, in the loving arms of his wife, William Howard (Bill) Ransom, departed from this world to ascend into the grace of Our Lord and Savior. He is survived by his wife Cid; daughter, Hayden; son, Joseph and daughter-in-law, Kelsey; son, Russell; adoring granddaughter, Lucia; sisters, Margie McCloskey and Joan Ransom-Carruthers; and brothers, Elliott Ransom and Daniel Ransom.
Bill was born in Houston, Texas. He graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1980. Bill was a member of Tau Beta Pi and Phi Eta Sigma engineering honor societies.
He married the love of his life Cid Susan King in 1983 in Austin, Texas. They bought their first home in Dallas, Texas, where they had their three children. Bill and Cid were blessed with 33 years of marriage, and they were faithful members of First Baptist Church McKinney for over 18 years. Together they regularly attended and enjoyed taking granddaughter Lucia to Sunday school.
Bill put his heart and mind into all things, and he took great pride in his work. His career began as an Engineering Scientist at Rockwell International in 1981. He used his knowledge of computational fluid dynamics to predict flight characteristics of trailing wire antennae for subsonic and transonic flight profiles for a variety of U.S. military aircraft. In 1994, he was recruited from the Engineering department to the Information Technology department to improve responsiveness and thoroughness of IT support for Rockwell's Dallas business division. During that time, he built a desktop support team for a campus of 2,000 users and recruited and mentored co-op students. In 2000, Bill became the IT Services Manager at Rockwell Collins, where he managed a staff that supported four U.S. sites and provided Tier 3 support in all IT areas. He continued to mentor co-op students and was on call 24x7. Bill provided onsite and offsite expertise in validation tests of complex secure hardware and software and regularly briefed internal management and U.S. government agencies. Bill was known by his colleagues as one who would take on challenges that others considered impossible, despite the intensity and demands of the work. Bill was regarded as one with a vast knowledge of many subjects. He thoroughly researched any topic to provide valued input. In the words of his close friend and former colleague Ross Terry, “Bill was willing to celebrate even the minor accomplishments along the path to success, making him someone you would consult with, inside and outside the workplace.” Bill worked at Rockwell for 31 years.
Bill was exceptional in so many ways. He was extremely bright, articulate, quick-witted, and hilarious. He possessed a special ability to entertain and was a brilliant storyteller. He would delight and amaze his family with elaborate and imaginative tales, illustrations, original songs and unique languages. Bill was a highly capable analyst, researcher, and fixer of all things. He loved to hike and work the land on the family ranch in Cedar Creek, Texas. Bill was a creative and accomplished builder. He designed and constructed toys, vehicles, furniture, playhouses, a ranch cabin, and a spacious garage apartment, which still stands at the family’s former home in Dallas, Texas. Bill’s three children deeply admired and respected him and frequently sought his guidance in many aspects of their lives. Bill was a consistent source of strength and encouragement, and he showed total devotion to God and to his family. His passing leaves a huge void for those who knew him and loved him.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 at First Baptist Church Chapel, 1615 West Louisiana St., McKinney, Texas.