William Dow Wade, 86, Orange

William Dow Wade, 86, of Orange, Texas, passed away on October 25, 2023, peacefully at home. Born in Lufkin, Texas, on November 23, 1936, he was the son of Clayton E. Wade and Lydia (Nerren) Wade. William graduated from Stark High School in 1955. After high school, he went and proudly served in the United States Army, and later worked as a Shift Supervisor at James River. William was a sports fanatic and loved to travel with his son to all the games. He sometimes would hang out with his son in the press box at a football or baseball game. William loved his animals and made sure they were taken care of. He was a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather and will be deeply missed by all. He is preceded in death by his parents, Clayton and Lydia Wade; wife Helen Wade; brother, Beeman Wade; and sister, Zemma Stark. He is survived by his son, Van Edward Wade and wife Laura; grandchildren, Joseph Adams, Caleb Adams, and Emily Davis; sister-in-law, Bernice Wade; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Serving as pallbearers will be Todd Wade, Slade Watts, Cale Watts, Ross Watts, Bigun Stark, and Cornel Thompson. The family held a private memorial service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Alzheimer’s Association at https://act.alz.org/.