William Rea
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William "Bill" Joseph Rea, Jr. (Sept. 25, 1930 to Jan. 18, 2021).
Bill Rea was raised in Muskogee, Oklahoma by his parents, William Joseph Rea, Sr. and Adele Griffin Rea. Bill developed his business acumen at an early age working in his father's business; the Rea Brokerage Company, a wholesale food brokerage that represented the Domino Sugar Company, the Griffin Grocery Company and the Dennison Peanut Company, among others. Bill also worked throughout high school and college for the Griffin Grocery Company, the Muskogee Broadcast Company, and KMUS, where he hosted a weekly radio show.
After graduating from Muskogee Central High School in 1948 Bill attended the University of Oklahoma where he was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, Army ROTC, and numerous honors societies. After graduating from OU in 1952 with a Bachelor of Business Administration, Bill was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army and served on active duty until 1955.
Bill moved to Tulsa in 1955 to join Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Beane where he launched a career and lifelong passion in the financial industry. Bill's initial training curriculum at Merrill Lynch included the fundamentals of value investing set forth in Benjamin Graham's The Intelligent Investor. Graham's book was the foundation upon which Bill developed his own investment strategies. At Merrill Lynch, Bill was known as an exceptionally talented investment advisor who acted with prudence in all markets and always put his clients' interests first. Mr. Rea was particularly talented at constructing successful bond portfolios and he will be remembered as a mentor to many in Merrill's Tulsa office. Although he officially retired in 1998 after 43 years of service to the company, Bill maintained a warm relationship with Merrill Lynch for the remainder of his life, serving as an unofficial ambassador of the Tulsa branch.
Community involvement and charity were a priority to Bill throughout his lifetime. Bill was an active member of Tulsa Habitat for Humanity's Tuesday Morning Miracle Workers, the Downtown Tulsa Rotary Club, and an adult leader for Boy Scout Troop 222. Bill most enjoyed devoting his time and talents as a financial advisor by serving as an officer of the Robert S. and Helen Grey Trippet Foundation from 1992 until his death. The Trippet Foundation provides college scholarships to Tulsa-area students and supports numerous local charities.
Bill is survived by his son, James Griffin Rea of Tulsa, his niece, Mollie Davids of Durango, CO, nephew, Stephen Wells of Oklahoma City, OK and numerous cousins.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Robert S. & Helen Grey Trippet Foundation, P.O. Box 701775, Tulsa, OK 74170 or the William J. Rea, Jr. Charitable Foundation, c/o Merrill Lynch, 6100 S. Yale Ave., Suite 1500, Tulsa, OK 74136.