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William Taylor Moyers, well-known Western artist and a longtime resident of Albuquerque died Monday, May 3, 2010. Bill was a longtime member of Albuquerque's Immanuel Presbyterian Church. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1916, and came to Colorado's San Luis Valley in 1931, growing up on the F. R. Swift ranch north of Alamosa. While in school, he toured the area competing in local rodeos. He graduated from Adams State College in 1939, and then attended art school at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles, California. Prior to World War II, Bill was employed by Walt Disney studios as an animator, working on such classic films as "Fantasia". With the outbreak of World War II, Bill served as a US Army Signal Corps captain in the South Pacific and the Philippines. In 1943, he married Neva Anderson, who he met in college, and who was then serving as a US Naval Officer. After the war, Bill and Neva established their home in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, where Bill began a career as a successful illustrator and author. After a move to Georgia and summers in Colorado, Bill and Neva moved to Albuquerque in 1962 where Bill painted and sculpted western subjects full-time. Over the years, he received numerous awards and recognition for his artwork, beginning with the American Artist award in 1945 for his illustrations for the western novel, The Virginian. He later received numerous awards from the prestigious Cowboy Artists Association, a group for which he served as a longtime member and four-term president. Bill's wife of 63 years, Neva, predeceased him in 2006. He is survived by their four children, Joanne Cotter and her husband, Paul Cotter of Lubbock, Texas; William Moyers, Jr. and his wife, Kimberly Moyers of Santa Fe, New Mexico; Charles Moyers and his wife, Joyce Kolberg of Albuquerque, New Mexico; and John Moyers and his wife, Terri Moyers of Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is also survived by his grandchildren, David Rowland and wife, Robin Rowland of Kansas City, Missouri; Melody Kerr and husband, Dr. David Kerr of Snyder, Texas, Alicia Stevens and her husband, William Pirtle, US Army, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Jeffrey Moyers of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Evan Kolberg of Taos, New Mexico, Jared Moyers of Albuquerque, New Mexico and Josh Moyers of Santa Fe, New Mexico and four great grandchildren. Services will be held on Monday, May 10, 2010, 10:00 a.m. at French - University Chapel with Rev. Carl Soderberg officiating. Interment will follow at the Santa Fe National Cemetery in Santa Fe, New Mexico at 2:00 p.m.. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Adams State College Foundation, 208 Edgemont Blvd., Alamosa, CO 71192 or the Animal Humane Association of NM, 615 Virginia SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108. Please visit our online guestbook for Mr. Moyers at www.RememberTheirStory.com. French 1111 University Blvd. NE (505) 843-6333
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