William "Bill" Edward Tucker, 90, passed away peacefully on June 24, 2023.
Tucker, as he was known, was born in 1932 in Idabel, Okla., to Owen and Dixie Tucker. He spent his formative years in Pierre, S.D., graduating from Pierre High School where he met his high school sweetheart, Nancy, whom he would later marry in 1955. Tucker then went to the South Dakota School of Mines for his geological engineering degree and later to the University of Oklahoma for his law degree.
Tucker's passions include law, politics and travel. He opened a successful law practice in Denver, Colorado, and became an assistant attorney general of regulatory issues, where he argued and won the Air Pollution Variance Board of Colorado v. Western Alfalfa Corp. case before the U.S. Supreme Court in the spring of 1974.
He was a key campaign and convention strategy advisor as well as leading the delegate operation for numerous candidates, including Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, Howard Baker and George Bush and advised on campaigns for Vaclav Havel and Lech Walesa. He served as the special counsel to the White House for President Ronald Reagan, writing the first transition paper ever written for a first lady (Nancy Reagan).
He also was a key campaign advisor on delegate selection and convention strategy for John Warner's campaign for the U.S. Senate and traveled throughout Virginia with Elizabeth Taylor and John Warner. He loved traveling the world with his wife for his entrepreneurial ventures.
Tucker served on several boards, including the Fund for American Studies, Young Republicans, American Council of Young Political Leaders and the United States Youth Council funded by the U.S. State Department. Tucker served on the board of the Washington Golf and Country Club, where he started a speaker series for club members and their guests.
Tucker's true gift was being a wonderful "Poppy" to his six grandchildren. His endless energy for playing with his grandchildren, cheering them on at sporting events (often exaggerating their talents, as any good grandfather should) and creating unique and special time to bond with each of them individually and together. Tucker was one of a kind and will be missed by all who knew and loved him.
He is survived by his daughters, Desiree (Ron) Tucker-Sorini of Hinsdale and Gayle (John) von Seggern; his siblings, Frank Tucker, Billie Schneider and Jo Ann Schomer; his brothers-in-law, Bob Schomer and Ron Riis; his sisters-in-law, Patricia Hall and Della Riis; and his six grandchildren, Christopher, Leah and Marissa Sorini and JT, Analea and Kaylea von Seggern.
Tucker was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Nancy Tucker; two of his siblings, Louise Phillips and Chuck Tucker; his brothers-in-law, Wayne Phillips, Roger Pries and John Hall; and his sister-in-law, Suzanne Pries.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church, 1125 Savile Lane, McLean, Va. A reception will follow at the church.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made online to the Cure Alzheimer's Fund at http://www.curealz.org.
