William Perry 'Bill' Sayles

(May 19, 1925 ~ January 15, 1981)

Bill, son of McAlpine 'Mac' Sayles and Mamie Grace Morris, married to Gwendolyn Grisham and buried in Elmwood Memorial Park Cemetery, Abilene, Taylor County, Texas.

Bill Sayles, Chief Executive Officer of CPL, Dies at 55

CORPUS CHRISTI - W. P. (Bill) Sayles, chief executive office of Central Power and Light Company, died here Thursday at the age of 55.

Sayles had been the company's chief executive officer since March, 1980.  He also served on the board of directors of CPL's parent company, Central and South West Corporation.

A graduated of Tuscola High School in west Texas, Sayles served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.  He attended Texas A&M University, receiving his Bachelor of Science in Animal Husbandry degree in 1947.

Sayles joined West Texas Utilities (WTU) in 1955 as an area development representative and was named manager of area development in 1964.  In 1976 he was elected to WTU's board of directors in addition to becoming vice president in charge of operations.

He was named vice president in charge of customer services in 1977, a position he held until being elected chief executive officer of Central Power and Light Company in December, 1979.  On March 1, 1980, he took over his new duties at CPL.

An active civic worker, Sayles was a member of the American Industrial Council, the Texas Industrial Development Council, and the Board of Directors of the Texas Research League.  He also held a directorship with the Associated Electric Companies of Texas and the Texas Atomic Engery Research Foundation.

Sayles was very interested in Chamber of Commerce activities.  He was a member of the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce and was president-elect of the South Texas Chamber of Commerce, where he also served on the Executive Committee.

In the 1980 Coastal Bend Untied Way campaign, Sayles served as Group III leader, heading up the Industrial, Trades and Oil and Gas Division.  He had recently agreed to play a significant role in the 1981 campaign.

Sayles is survived by his wife, Gwen, a daughter, Mrs. Lynlee Hendrix of Abilene, and a son Perry, of Corpus Christi.

The Monitor (McAllen, Texas) - Sun, Jan 18, 1981

Bill Sayles

Services for William P. 'Bill' Sayles, 55, president of Central Power and Light Co. and a member of a pioneer Taylor County family who died at 3:30 a.m. Thursday after suffering a heart attack in his home, will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest.

The Rev. James Folts, rector, will officiate, assisted by The Rev. E.T. Dentzer, retired rector.  Burial will be in Elmwood Memorial Park, directed by Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, U.S. Hwy. 277.

Memorial services are scheduled at the same time in Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Corpus Christi.  The Rev. Charles Dobbin will officiate.

In apparently good health, Mr. Sayles, of Corpus Christi and formerly of Abilene, died en route to a Corpus Christi hospital, a WTU spokesman said.

Pallbearers will be Dr. Gene Spires, Robert E. Kennedy, Sen. Grant Jones, Harwell Barber, Judge Raleigh Brown, E.O. West Jr., W.D. Grosvenoe, James E. Baucum and Durwood Chalker.

Honorary pallbearers will be board members of Central Power and Light, Central and South West Corp., and West Texas Utilities.

The family requests remembrances be made to West Texas Rehabilitation Center or a favorite charity.

The family will be at 1141 Sylvan.

Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, Texas) - Fri, Jan 16, 1981

Ex-WTU executive dies

William P. 'Bill' Sayles of Corpus Christi, president of Central Power and Light Co. and a member of a pioneer Taylor County family, died early today of a heart attack.  He was 55.

Mr. Sayles became chief executive officer of the South Texas utility company last March 1, moving from Abilene after a career of 25 years with West Texas Utilities Co.

WTU and Central Power and Light are affiliated companies, members of the Central and South West Corp. of Dallas.

Services are pending and will be announced by Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home.  Burial will be in Elmwood Memorial Park.

A WTU spokesman said Sayles suffered a heart attack at his home and died en route to a Corpus Christi hospital about 3:30 a.m.  He had not been ill, the spokesman said.

Sayles had succeeded Durwood Chalker, former WTU president, as president of Central Power and Light.  Chalker was promoted to chairman of Central and South West Corp.

Sayles and Chalker were two of three WTU-trained executives who moved to Corpus Christi as president of CP&L.  The order was Roff Hardy.

Mr. Sayles, a descendant of a family which moved to Abilene in the mid-1880s, was born May 19, 1925, in south Taylor County.  He was graduated from Tuscola High School in 1942.

During World War II he was in the Army Air Corps from 1943-1945, serving as a pilot.  He was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1944.  While in Europe, he flew C-47s as a member of a troop carrier squadron.

After WWII he ranched in south Taylor County.  In 1947 he received a bachelor of science degree from Texas A&M.  From 1947-1952 he taught vocational classes for veterans.

In April 1955 he joined WTU, serving as area development representative until 1964, when he was named area development manager.  During part of that time, beginning in 1961, he also represented WTU on legislative matters in Austin.

In 1975 he was named executive assistant, reporting to the president, and in 1976 was promoted to vice president in charge of operations.  His title was changed in 1977 to vice president in charge of customer services when more responsibilities were added.

He was elected to the board of WTU in 1976.

While in Abilene he served on the Texas Industrial Development Council, which he helped organize, and was a member of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce and West Texas Chamber of Commerce.  The family lived on Route 1, Tuscola.

He married Gwen Grisham July 12, 1958, in Abilene.

Survivors include his wife; a son, Perry McAlpine Sayles of the home; a daughter, Mrs. Mark (Mary Linlee) Hendrix of Buffalo Gap; a sister, Mary Harriet Sayles of 3201 N. Third; two brothers, Bobby and Henry, both of Tuscola; an aunt, Mrs. Frank (Julia) Murphy of Abilene; and a cousin, Jack Sayles of Abilene.

Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, Texas) - Thu, Jan 15, 1981