Mr. William P. Crisler's Obituary
William Peyton “Bill” Crisler passed away on June 15. He was born in Dallas on March 9, 1932 to Parrie and Walter Peyton Crisler. He attended Highland Park High School and excelled in baseball, making alldistrict in 1947. Later that year, Bill made the varsity football team and in 1948 he made alldistrict baseball and allstate football. That same year, Bill received the high honor of being invited to try out for the Chicago Cubs baseball team. However, Bill was intent on attending college and accepted a four year football scholarship to SMU.Bill entered SMU and by 1951 was a starting halfback on the varsity football team. Bill joined the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity where he made many lifelong friends. Upon graduation from SMU in 1954 with a degree in business, Bill joined the US Air Force. He served 15 months in the Northeast Air Command as a 2nd Lieutenant. Following his three years of service, Bill was discharged as a captain. Bill went into the paper business and built a successful career in the fine paper industry. In 1977, Bill formed a successful partnership with Harry Gould, owner of Gould Paper Co in New York specializing in mail order catalogs. Clients included Horchow, Neiman Marcus, Saks, Bloomingdales and Harry & David. Bill was featured on the cover of the 1988 Mead Paper Annual Report as the “country’s top paper salesman”. Bill is survived by his wife, Farene Crisler; daughter, Nancy Crisler Galante of Houston and son and daughterinlaw, Michael Peyton and Tonya Crisler of Alpharetta, Georgia; four granddaughters, Caroline, Crystal, Elizabeth and Lacey; greatgranddaughter Peyton and stepchildren Troy and Jennifer Freeman, Preston Freeman, Vincent and Joy Freeman of Fort Worth, Andrea and Ryan Russell and their daughter Norah of Little Elm. Bill was an active member of the Highland Park Presbyterian Church, SilverHaired Supper Club and remained an active alum of the SMU Cox Business School until his death. A memorial service will be held Monday, June 20 at 1:00 pm at Highland Park Presbyterian Church. Memorial donations may be sent to the Bill Crisler Endowed Scholarship Fund, SMU Cox School of Business, Office of Development, P. O. Box 750333, Dallas, TX 75275.
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