William Bill Tackett, 85, a former long-time resident of Dobbs Ferry passed away on Saturday December 17, 2011 after a long illness. Bill was born in Dallas, Texas on October 13, 1926. He served in the Public Relations Office of the Army Air Forces European Theater in Germany as part of the occupation forces at the end of World War II. Upon his return to the States, he completed his BA in History at the University of Texas in Austin. He moved to New York in the 1950's as an employee of Harcourt, Brace and World later Harcourt Brace Jovanich. He rose to become the Deputy Director of the College Sales Department at Harcourt. Upon his retirement from publishing, he began a second career as a travel agent at Campus Travel in White Plains. Bill was active in the Dobbs Ferry community and served on the boards of the Dobbs Ferry Library and Dobbs Ferry Historical Society. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Mildred Boxill Tackett, his daughters Melinda Tackett, and Nerissa Tackett-Cusick, his son-in-law, Shaun Cusick, his grandchildren Emma Eun Hee Cusick and Jae William Cusick, his twin sister Helen Tackett, and many in-laws, nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews. A memorial service will be held at Edwards-Dowdle Funeral Home, 64 Ashford Ave, Dobbs Ferry New York on Saturday, January 7 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations can be made in his memory to Riverkeeper, 20 Secor Road Ossining, NY 10562, Attention: Allison Chamberlain or to The University of Texas at Austin, University Development Office, P.O. Box 7458, Austin, TX 78713-7458 and cite History Department in memory of William Tackett on check.