WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Former high school football coach, Keith Willis, shares how his storied career has prepared him to own a historical Central Texas cemetery, Doris Miller Memorial Park.
- Coach Willis officially retired with the University High School Trojans in 2017
- He and his wife Charlene purchased the cemetery in 2021
- Doris Miller Memorial Park is approximately 16.69 acres
BROADCAST SCRIPT:
From the football field, to hallowed ground, things are looking a little different for former football coach Keith Willis.
“I was blessed to be a coach,” said Coach Willis.
With a 25 year storied career, he felt his time had come in 2017 to step aside from the University High Trojans.
“Enjoyed it, greatest bunch of kids and families, but I just couldn’t get it going,” Coach added.
And in 2021 -
“I felt like the Good Lord was trying to tell me something,” said Coach Willis.
He and his wife Charlene felt called to purchase and run Doris Miller Memorial Park.
“When we came back and saw there was a need for things to be better here, that’s in our background, our DNA, we’re going to step in, we’re going to make it happen,” said Charlene Willis, Coach Willis’s wife.
“Miss Janice Matthews was retiring, and our folks is here, my mother is here, her grandparents are here, and we just decided this would be a good place, a great labor of love for us,” said Willis.
That labor of love turned into a different type of grind the former coach loves every day.
“I inspect mobile homes. Early in the morning, every morning, if I’m not gone at about 6:30 I’m late, my area is from Sealy back this way, so then I’ll go and end up back here working in the afternoon. It’s a long day, but it’s fun, it’s kind of like coaching,” said Willis.
From 100 yards, to 16.69 acres, Coach and his wife feel blessed in this phase of life feeling their previous work has done them well
“You have to know things about time management, you will know some things about hard work and dedication, teamwork, it just blends itself together when you talk about coaching and owning a business,” said Coach Willis.
Keeping this Central Texas legacy alive.
“We’re here for our folks, we’re here to give these folks somewhere that they can be proud of,” concluded Coach Willis.
