William " Bill " Chaffin's Obituary
William “Bill” Chaffin, a visionary entrepreneur, gifted motivational speaker, and world-record-holding basketball shooter, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 8, at 9:15 P.M.
Bill was born on January 30, 1937, in Pittsburgh, Kansas, to Charles R. Chaffin and Mary May (Eslinger) Chaffin. He grew up in a close-knit family with his siblings Mary, Charles, Cela Beth, and John. Of the four, John remains the last surviving sibling.
Bill’s professional journey began in marketing and sales, where he spent 25 years excelling in the insurance and real estate industries. In 1978, his career took an unexpected turn when he became Executive Producer of the motion picture Squeeze Play, featuring Dallas Cowboys stars Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Drew Pearson, Jay Saldi, and Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson. Though the project brought challenges, Bill transformed adversity into resilience—a theme that would define his later life’s work.
After a formative period with the Zig Ziglar Corporation, Bill founded Turn-Key Communications in 1986, later known as Bill Chaffin Enterprises, Inc. As President, he discovered his true calling: inspiring others. Bill became the only motivational speaker in America known for combining life lessons with live basketball shootouts against middle school, high school, college, and even professional athletes. His unique approach, paired with his signature talk, What Goes Around Comes Around, captured the respect and hearts of young people and professionals alike.
On September 12, 1989, Bill secured his place in the Guinness Book of World Records by sinking 190 out of 208 free throws in ten minutes on national cable television in Schererville, Indiana. This remarkable feat reflected not only his skill but also his philosophy: that the discipline and focus required to “hit nothing but net” on the court could also shape lives off the court.
Bill’s message, Nothing But Net, inspired corporate audiences across America to strive not just for success, but for true significance. His impact is reflected in the words of those he touched:
“Bill did a wonderful job weaving the lessons from his incredible life story into a relevant and captivating hour-long talk that was both inspiring and entertaining.” — J. Frank Harrison III, Chairman and CEO, Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated
“Bill's passion for teaching and shooting through examples and illustrations are both effective and entertaining. He has mastered the art of shooting free-throws and the techniques of an accomplished motivational speaker and combined it into one unique package.”
Bill will be remembered as a man of energy, resilience, and vision—someone who turned challenges into opportunities and used his gifts to elevate others. His legacy lives on in the thousands of lives he touched, both from the stage and through his personal example. He was a man of faith, a loving husband, caring father, and loyal friend.
His beautiful wife, Kay Chaffin, preceded him in death. He is survived by his son, Chad Chaffin, daughter, Noelle Chaffin, and granddaughter, Evabeth Ellis. He is also survived by his brother, John Chaffin; sister-in-law Gia; niece Andrina; and nephew Spencer. Other family members include his nephew Eric Chaffin and niece Cheryl Chaffin.
Additional family members who will cherish his memory include his sister-in-law Gloria Brinkman and her husband Bill Brinkman; nephew Brandon Brinkman; and nieces Emily Vodek (Jason) and Amanda Haldeman (Jonathan).
A service to honor Bill’s life will be held on Friday, September 19th, at 10:00 AM at Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, Texas, in Faith Chapel.
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