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William Bilbrough Biester, Jr.

June 1, 1936 –
 May 24, 2022

Obituary

William Bilbrough Biester Jr., 85, passed away Tuesday, May 24, 2022, at The Emerson on Harvest Hill, Dallas, TX. Bill was born in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, June 1, 1936, the eldest son of the late William and Thelma Biester. He was raised in Philadelphia, PA before the family eventually settled in Woodbury, NJ into a house built by Bill and his father. Bill attended Woodbury High School, showing early brilliance as a mathematician, and after graduating from Fenn College in Cleveland, OH he was awarded a Fellowship to attend Princeton University for his Master of Science in Structural Engineering. During his time there, in addition to teaching mathematics to undergraduates, Bill was involved in research projects for the US Navy and Department of Defense. He went on to score top marks in the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania in the certification examinations for the American Society of Civil Engineers. Bill spent his working life applying his considerable talents as a consulting structural engineer to civil projects throughout the United States. He supervised the construction of the New Jersey State Pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, consulted on projects for Disney World in Orlando, FL and was involved in numerous projects in the nuclear energy sector. He had recently retired from a career that he absolutely loved and through which he made many lifelong friends and colleagues. Outside of his work, Bill was a man with diverse passions. He adored classical music (particularly Bach and other baroque masters) and in later life regularly attended live broadcasts of The Metropolitan Opera as well as turning his hand to learning the recorder. As a long-distance runner, he completed marathons all around the world, including in London, London, England and Dublin, Ireland. First and foremost Bill was a devoted father and grandfather. He traveled the world regularly to see his children and grandchildren, and never missed an opportunity to tell them how much he loved them and how proud he was of them. He is survived by his four children, Tiia Katrin, Heidi Yvonne, Derek William and Lara Anne (from his marriage to Lois Anne Frissell (née Roth)); daughters-in-law Nicola Anne and Kara Heather; grandchildren, Philippa Louise, Henry Christopher, Gabriel Charles, Thomas William, Felix William, Tabitha Joan and Sylvie Anne; brother, Paul John; as well as many cousins. Bill was predeceased by his brother, Allen George, and sister, Ethel Ruth. The family would like to send heartfelt thanks to the staff of The Emerson on Harvest Hill, both for the care given to Bill and for the compassion they have shown during this difficult time. In keeping with Bill’s wishes, a private memorial is planned.  

Arrangements under the direction of:

ARIA Cremation Service and Funeral Home

19310 Preston Road

Dallas, Texas 75252

(214) 306-6700

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Testimonials

R. Driver
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"Excellent customer service, they made you feel like you were their only customer. Very helpful and explained what we should expect during the process. They basically took care of our needs during this time. They contacted DFW National Cemetery for us which made it a smooth experience. Definitely will use them again."
K. Barker
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"I was amazed how professional the team at Aria Funeral Preston Dallas Texas are. They guided me through the process and my options of their services that they offered for my mother. They are compassionate, caring, calm, good listener, efficient and did an excellent job! Thank you!"
R. Woll
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"If I could give 6 stars I would. Aria made a difficult easier to deal with by basically taking care of everything in an efficient but very empathetic manner. I can speak highly enough of Dusty Martin, who helped us with all of the planning and logistics. He was incredibly understanding and helpful."
Angel M.
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"Nothing prepares you for the grief you go through when losing a child. I called this funeral home at 2:00 am broken and could barely talk. The amount of compassion and empathy they showed me immediately let me know I found the right place to cremate my son. I cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, SINCERE concern, and commitment to making sure my son was honored in the most respectful way. I hope this Funeral home values her as much as my family and I do."
McGee Family
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"Wayne and Staff, thank you for taking care of the arrangements for our mom, Exter McGee and our dad, Philip McGee. You have been great to work with during such a difficult time."
Elledge Family
Elledge Family
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"On behalf of my family, I wanted you to know how much we appreciate your handling of my husband's final arrangements. Wayne Baxter assisted & guided us through the entire process with such care & compassion. Don't know what we would have done without him! Sincerely, Colleen Elledge"
The Peterson Family
The Peterson FamilyYelp! Review - Northwest Highway 5-Stars
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"I can’t say enough about how helpful and professional Dusty Martin, the funeral director at the Aria Cremation location on NW Highway has been. From my initial call, he was kind and informative. My friend died at home while on hospice and she was picked up in about an hour after receiving the call from the hospice nurse. The person who arrived to pick her up was also very professional/respectful and allowed us to take as much time with her as we wished. When I met with Dusty the next day about arrangements, he explained the process and options available without being pushy or trying to “sell” extras. Throughout the process, he kept me informed and, for example, was careful to be certain I understood the cost of the obituary I wanted and offered some options for reducing that cost if I wished. When I stopped by for another reason and started talking about some of the problems I was having with the pictures and media I hoped to use at a memorial lunch I was planning, he not only listened patiently but offered technology advice and let me use his personal media player. I have had experience arranging cremations for four others using two other local companies, and this experience with Dusty at Aria has been by far the best one I have had."
Paula Barnes
Paula BarnesGoogle Review
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"My Daddy’s service and our family experience at Aria Northwest Highway was truly blessed. Funeral Director Dustin Martin is the kind of person that you would like to see on a more regular basis – but in his industry – you hope to not see him that often. That being said – THANK YOU DUSTIN for your unending kindness, compassion and friendship through the process. Meeting you and discussing Dallas History, Find A Grave and my Dad’s lifelong contributions to the great City of Dallas was simply wonderful! In memory of my dad James A. Dodd, Sr. – I want to personally thank you and let you know that you made everything better in that moment. Your calling to “Be There” is spot on. Aria has a one in a million guy in you! Bling Blinky of TEXAS Shout Out: God Bless You!!"
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Preston Road

“George Bush at Preston”

Aria - Northwest Highway

“5 Miles East of Hillcrest Memorial Park / Lake Highlands”

Funeral Homes Irving Tx: Aria Cremation

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Important Information

  1. If death has occurred and or is imminent, please call the Aria location nearest you.

    PRESTON ROAD
    214.306.6700

    NORTHWEST HIGHWAY
    214.340.8008

    BELTLINE ROAD
    972.607.4400

  2. Click here to Download the Cremation Forms.
  3. Have the cremation authorization form notarized
  4. Fax the forms back to us at:
    • NW Highway
      214-340-8009
    • Preston Rd.
      972-526-7410
    • Belt Line Rd.
      972-573-1008
 

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