Mr. William Aubrey McCaughan Jr.

January 4, 1936 - April 22, 2020

Bill McCaughan lived life to the fullest, greeting each day with joy and gusto. Everyone who knew Bill knew the primary source for his joy: His lifelong love affair with Miss Pat, and the blessed and exciting life they created together. In early courtship, Bill wooed Miss Pat by showing up shirtless in his convertible at Holy Angels Academy, where he ignored the scowls of nuns to focus his attention on the most beautiful young woman he had ever seen. On his Triumph motorcycle, he competed in amateur drag races against customized, souped-up cars. . .and often won. Bill loved his family and taught his kids, Terri, Bill III and Chris to love adventure and the outdoors, instructing them on how to shoot, to fish and to ride motorcycles. Bill’s big, engaging personality filled every room he entered. His quick, sharp wit, funny stories and loud, distinctive laugh made him many friends across the South. Bill started his broadcasting career as a DJ at radio station KBTM, where he rose program manager before leaving to become a founding member at the pioneering Jonesboro TV station, KAIT. Bill and his colleagues called it “Experimental 8,” because they built the successful station through instinct more than experience. Bill took on air roles as the sportscaster and weatherman before becoming the top-rated station’s news anchor. After nine years with KAIT, Bill decided to turn another passion into another successful business when he founded SALT, a charter fishing company located in Cocodrie, Louisiana, on the Gulf of Mexico. Whether escorting a boat full of wide-eyed kids, business professionals or celebrities, Bill entertained and educated while giving his clients memories to last a lifetime. They departed knowing they had spent the day with a master fisherman and storyteller—and with a cooler full of freshly caught fish. Bill’s embrace of what life offered included a love for good food, which led him to become a master chef. He sought out the best professional cooking tools, from grills to smokers and beyond, and he befriended butchers, farmers and other specialists in his search for the best quality food, and he constantly experimented with cooking techniques. The point, always, centered on how much he enjoyed bringing together family and friends for fellowship and fun. Bill and Pat also loved to travel, touring Europe, and especially to top golfing destinations and anywhere near the water. Bill loved deeply and passionately, and this trait came through in his rogue personality and how he kept friends, family and clients laughing. He was special and it showed. Bill McCaughan peacefully left this world on April 22, 2020, at 3:30 am. We didn’t hear the trumpets, but they surely were playing, welcoming him into the arms of the angels and those loved ones who went before him. We will miss him more than words can say, but the memories he left with us, and the stories he told us, will be shared for generations. Tri-City LLC Crematory Funeral Home is honored and privileged to serve the McCaughan family. Online condolences may be expressed at www.Tri-CityLLC.com