William B. Collister ’48

Bill was born March 3, 1923, in Colorado Springs, Colo. His father, who had come to Colorado from the Isle of Man, was a circuit-riding Methodist preacher in the mountain mining camps.

Bill came to Princeton after his 1942 to 1945 service in the (then Army) Air Corps, and graduated in 1948 with honors in SPIA. By 1951 he had earned a law degree at the University of Denver and had been admitted to the Colorado bar. He then began his half-century-long career as an oil and gas attorney. The practice included title search, leasing negotiations, and a full range of other legal work for the oil and gas industry, all over the Mountain West and the High Plains.

Bill and Alice (née Anderson), who survives him, were married in 1961. They traveled the world, visiting every continent except Antarctica. A loyal Princetonian, he also gave lifelong support and affection to the University of Denver. He received Denver’s highest alumni award, for leadership in his profession and for humanitarian service.

Besides Alice, Bill is survived by his sister, Ruth Jones; his brothers, Larry and Emmitt; his “honorary” daughter Karen Voll; three nieces; and 10 nephews. He died, just short of turning 90, Feb. 11, 2013, in Denver.