William Alexander Strickland, Jr.

William Alexander Strickland, Jr., age 89, of Overland Park, Kansas, passed away June 21, 2013, at Lakeview Village. He was the first born of three children to William A. and Kathleen Turner, who entered this world on July 25, 1923, in Dover, Arkansas. In 1929 he moved with his family to Atkins and then to Plainview in 1938, where his father owned and operated a general drug store for the remainder of his life. In 1939, with the encouragement of his father he began his freshman year at Arkansas Tech, Russellville, Arkansas, and the following year he entered the University of Tennessee School of Pharmacy in Memphis and graduating nine continuous academic quarters later on February 10, 1943. Immediately thereafter, The Memphis Draft Board assigned him to the U.S. Naval Corp a Covington, Tennessee. Instruction, training and academics were taught at William Jewell College, Liberty, Missouri, the University of Iowa; additional training at Norman, Oklahoma resulted in advanced flight status. The Japanese Military capitulation on July 26, 1945 brought to a halt advanced Navy flight duty and he was released from military duty. On June 2, 1946 he married Wanda Green in the Plainview Methodist Church in Arkansas, and then moved to Hot Springs where he worked as a representative for the Upjohn Company. In 1947 they had a son, William Alva. In 1950, they relocated to Madison, Wisconsin for William to enter the University of Wisconsin to enroll in graduate school to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Chemistry (Pharmaceutics). While living in Madison, they were blessed with two more sons-namely Robert Allen and David Arnold. The Ph.D. degree was granted by the University of Wisconsin in June 1955. Upon receiving his Ph.D. he taught at the University Of Arkansas School Of Pharmacy until offered the Dean's position at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in July 1967 where he remained until he retired in June, 1983. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Wanda; and a son, William Alva "Dub" Strickland. Survivors include two sons, David A. Strickland of St. Louis, Missouri, and Robert Allen Strickland of Winston-Salem, North Carolina; brother, Kerry Strickland of Greenbrier; and a sister Kathleen Bell of Russellville. Funeral services will be 12:00 p.m. Thursday, June 27, 2013, at the Plainview United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends for an hour prior to service time at the church. Burial will follow at McGhee Cemetery by Harris Funeral Home of Morrilton.

William Alexander Strickland, Jr.

July 25, 1923 - June 21, 2013