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Dr. Bill Lukenbill 1939-2019

We are saddened to share the news that Willis Bernard “Bill” Lukenbill, professor emeritus, passed away on Thursday, August 29, 2019 in Austin.

Dr. Lukenbill began his career as a high school librarian and later a reference librarian at Austin College in Sherman, Texas.  He began his university teaching career at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana and subsequently served on the faculties in the College of Library and Information Services and the College of Education at the University of Maryland at College Park. Dr. Lukenbill lectured and published widely in several areas of information organization and use, including youth literature, popular culture, gay and lesbian studies, and HIV-AIDS information delivery within library environments. He is the author of AIDS and HIV Programs and Services for Libraries (Libraries Unlimited, 1994). His other works include Biography in the Lives of Youth: Culture, Society, and Information (Libraries Unlimitd, 2006) and Health Information for Youth with Barbara Immroth (Libraries Unlimited, 2007). Dr. Lukenbill held several teaching and research fellowships in the School of Information including the Commons Research Fellowship.

After a long career, he retired in 2010, but continued to write and publish professionally. Bill enjoyed genealogy research and volunteering as an archivist at the Metropolitan Community Church in Austin. He was dedicated to his family and to his profession. He was a natural storyteller and shared his rich sense of humor with all who knew him. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Lee Roy and Tommie Lukenbill, and his brother-in-law Sam Franklin of Mt. Sylvan, TX. He is survived by his wife Shirley H. Lukenbill and his companion Richard Hendler. He was very close to his sister Barbara Franklin and his nephew Michael Franklin of Mt. Sylvan, TX. He is also survived by his son James Lukenbill, Ph.D., and his wife Julie, as well as his grandchildren Aaron and Mia Lukenbill of Cedar Park, TX. His life will be celebrated at a memorial service on October 5, 2019 at 2 pm at Metropolitan Community Church, 8601 S. 1st Street, Austin, TX 78748. In lieu of flowers, please adopt a cat or two, donate to the Metropolitan Church of Austin or to a charity of your choice.

Dr. Lukenbill's archived faculty Webpage is available here.

Read the UT Austin General Faculty memorial resolution honoring the academic achievements, pedagogical accomplishments, and life of Dr. Bill Lukenbill.

Sept. 12, 2019