William McKinley Higgins

William “Bill” McKinley Higgins, Jr. was born on February 2nd, 1936, to William McKinley Higgins, Sr. and Lillian Cliver Higgins in Burlington, New Jersey. Bill’s father was a World War I veteran and printer; and Lillian was a homemaker. Young “Bill or Billy” as he was called by family spent his initial childhood in New Jersey, but the family soon moved to Maryland and resided in the Greenbelt area. He attended Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, MD as a member of the first full class to attend from 10th to 12th grade. In high school, Bill played football, basketball, tennis and was a member of the Glee Club. Following high school, Bill attended the University of Maryland at College Park. He attained a Bachelor and Master of Science in Education. It was at the University of Maryland that he met his wife, Pat; and they were married following her graduation in 1961. Their son, Mark Higgins was born in 1966; and in 1970 they moved to the Cloverly area of Silver Spring.

Bill was employed by the Prince George’s County Board of Education as an industrial arts teacher. He was at High Point High School for over 30 years as the Drafting Instructor. During his time at High Point, Bill touched and influenced the lives of thousands of his students who took his curriculum – some for one year and others for the full 3 years. Often in retirement, he would meet his former students while on travel or in the Maryland area; and they would remark on the positive influence that he made in their lives during their teenage years.

Bill retired from teaching in 1992, but his teaching didn’t end. In retirement, he watched his grandchildren after elementary and middle school; and helped them with their homework and projects. He believed that this was the most rewarding (and sometimes the most frustrating) teaching that he ever completed. His other hobbies included boating, gardening, woodworking, travel and model railroading. As an active member of the Four County Society of Model Engineers (FCSME) he attended meetings and ran trains at the Christmas layout and other train shows. Lastly, Bill loved to travel with his wife, Pat, and during their retirement, they traveled extensively through the United States, Europe, Russia, China, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand.

The three greatest joys of his long life were the times he spent with his wife Pat, doing things with his family (especially the grandkids), and traveling worldwide to experience new and different cultures and places.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, William and Lillian, and his sister Marian. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Patricia Stanton; his son and his wife, Mark and Tina Higgins; and two grandchildren, Emily and Jordan Higgins, along with several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donations to one of three charities: The Alzheimer’s Association, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons, or The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Bill’s favorite charity).