William "Bill" Tucker

In his journey William "Bill" Tucker, formally of Weirton, West Virginia, touched the lives of many and stopped often along the way to enrich the lives of others. Un-expectantly his earthly journey came to an end on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2015.Left to cherish his memory: Wife- Rose of 53 years, Snellville, Georgia; Daughter: Vanita (Serge) Brown of Washington; Brothers: Sylvester {Elmira) Tucker, Union, S.C., Robert Tucker, Weirton, W.Va., Willie Tucker (Barbara), Toledo, OH.. Sisters: Carrie (Leon) Good, Union, S.C., Gladys Young, San Mateo, Ca., Betty Rollen, Snellville, Ga., Rebecca {Don) Turner, Weirton, W.Va. Grandchildren: Christopher Tucker, Crystina (Justin) Southwell), Adriel Malina and Josiah Gracia. Brother in law: James (Mildred) Poole, Sister in laws: Cynthia (Mike) Palmer and Avery White, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives. His parents Willie and Bertha Tucker Sr., father and mother in law, Uel and Virginia Livingston, brother Jessie Tucker, son William Gary Tucker, brother in law Joseph Livingston all preceded him in death.Bill was born on September 14, 1942 in Union, South Carolina to the union of Willie and Bertha Tucker Sr. They later moved to Weirton, West Virginia.Bill and Rose were married in 1962, after completing high school in Weirton, West Virginia, where at Weir High School he was a legendary athlete - staring in football, basketball and track. His major accomplishments came in football when in 1960 and 1961 he was a member of Weirton's historical back to back state championship teams. He was All-State, All-American and during the summer of 1962 he was MVP in the classic Ohio/W. Va. all-star game. One year {1963) later his journey continued when Tennessee State University (the only college) coached by hall of famer {Big) John Merritt offered him a scholarship to play football. Word had reached Nashville about an outstanding athlete from Weirton. When Bill completed college {1967), he was the first Tennessee State University athlete to play in the Senior Bowl and also play in the Blue/Gray classic, after which he was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. Bill played in the NFL for five years, four for the 49ers and one for the Chicago Bears. His statistics were not outstanding, but his heart was legendary! Hence, you knew he was from the Ohio Valley where many great athletes played!After his retirement from the NFL he was employed by the San Francisco printing newspaper and San Mateo, California education system. After retiring Bill and his wife Rose moved to Snellville, Georgia. Bill's additional achievements: Weir High wall of fame; Tennessee State University sports hall of fame; Street of Dreams professional athlete from Weir Avenue, Weirton, West Virginia; Dapper Dan special achievement award and an accomplished artist.The Funeral Service to Celebrate and Honor the Life of William “Bill” Tucker will be held on Friday, December 4, 2015 at 11:00 AM. The family will receive friends on Thursday, December 3, 2015 from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Tom M. Wages, Snellville Chapel.Condolences may be viewed or sent to www.wagesfuneralhome.com Tom M. Wages Funeral Service, LLC, “A Family Company” Snellville Chapel, 770-979-3200, has been entrusted with the funeral arrangements.Read Obituary