William Walter Devine

William Walter Devine passed away on March 7, 2023, in Houston, Texas. He was 84 years of age. He was born in Daisetta, Texas to Lem & Jessie Devine.  

He was an exceptional athlete and was highly regarded by his Hull-Daisetta Bobcat coaches, staff and teammates as the toughest 139-pound guard in the district. The William Devine Award was established in his honor in 1962, to recognize “the player who always gave more than 100%”. Growing up in the small town of Daisetta among supportive friends and family helped shape William into the person he was – a man of integrity and “true grit.”  

William graduated from Lamar Tech in Beaumont, Texas with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1961. He spent over forty years building a successful career in sales and management including with Sears & Roebuck and ultimately retiring from PEBSCO in 2002. His success can be attributed to his strong work ethic, natural intelligence, and business acumen gained through the years, including many after school hours helping his parents at Devine’s Grocery and Jones & Devine Insurance Agency.  

William had many great qualities and accomplishments, but of them all, he was a role model to others for his devotion and loyalty to the love of his life, Carolyn Johnston Devine, his children Melanie Calvert and Matthew Devine, and his five grandchildren. The family is blessed with his legacy of treating others with respect, genuine kindness, and love. He also was a fierce defender of his family if needed and his loyalty to friends was without question or limitations.  

Without question, an encounter with “Willie”, as he is known to his grandchildren, always included a joke, a sincere compliment, and a genuine question about your well-being.  

William is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Carolyn; his daughter Melanie Calvert; his son Matthew Devine and his wife Jane; his grandchildren, Haley and Haden Calvert; Hannah, Hunter, and Cullen Devine.  

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at 10:00 am at The Settegast-Kopf Funeral Home 15015 Southwest Freeway, Sugar Land, TX, 77478. Family and friends are welcome to a gathering with refreshments immediately following the service.  

Interment of ashes will be held Saturday, March 18, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at Guedry Cemetery, 11894 Batson Prairie Road, Batson, TX, 77519.  

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.settegastkopf.com for the Devine family.