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William Dean (“Bill”) Stark departed this life on June 19, 2022, at age 80, following a lengthy illness. Bill was the son of the late Col. William Reynolds and Rachel Elizabeth Stark (née Dean) and the nephew of the late Elizabeth “Betsy” Stark. He resided in Starkville from 1975 until 2012, when he moved with his late wife, Donna Barnes, to Memphis. Upon Donna’s death in 2013, he became a resident of Ridgeland, Mississippi, and spent his final years at St. Catherine’s Village.
Bill graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1964. He received his M.S. from Mississippi State University in 1971 and his J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1973. While in law school, he was elected president of the student body, served on the Law Review, and was part of the Moot Court team. In 1975, after practicing law in Clarksdale, he, his wife Genevieve (née Maxon), and their young family relocated to Starkville, where he opened his own law firm. He practiced civil and criminal law and served in a variety of legal capacities for the city, including as city attorney. He was also board counsel for OCH Regional Hospital.
Bill was a devoted member of the Starkville community, actively participating in the Starkville Community Theatre, Rotary Club, and the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, where he served as a lay reader, senior warden, and vestry member. Bill loved practicing karate, exercising, swimming, playing the guitar, and listening to music of all kinds. Bill is survived by his two brothers, William and Richard; his first wife, Genevieve, and their four children, Eugenia Thomas (husband Greg), Randolph (wife Alexandra), Caroline, and Andrew; and three grandchildren, Henry, Will, and Colette.
A Memorial Service will be held at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection on July 23, 2022. Visitation will be held at 3:00 pm followed by a Memorial Service at 4:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Starkville Rotary Foundation, P.O. Box 80002, Starkville, MS 39760.
