William Desak Sirmon
October 10, 1983 – February 20, 2021
Will Sirmon was born in Durham, North Carolina and moved with his parents, Wayne Ervin and Maryella Desak Sirmon to Mobile, Alabama when he was 18 months old. He is survived by his parents, brother John and aunt Dianne Sirmon Martin. With Lisa Hughes Sirmon, he was blessed with two young children, William Preston and Harper Marie.
He was a 2002 graduate of St. Paul’s Episcopal School where he participated in the SPS Players, Choral Ensemble, Key Club and several sports. While in Mobile, Will attended St. Paul’s Episcopal Church where he served as an acolyte and sang in the adult choir. A member of DeMolay International, he served as State Master Councilor for Alabama and spearheaded the collection of 1,289 cell phones for use by victims of domestic violence. For this effort Will received the Volunteer Mobile Heart of Gold Award. He was a member of Mobile Masonic Lodge No. 40 and the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout as a member of Troop 147 and served on two National Boy Scout Jamboree staffs. After college Will served as a District Executive with the Galveston-based Bay Area Council.
Beginning his college studies at Texas A&M University, he graduated with a major in history from the University of South Alabama. He was a member of the Phi Alpha Theta history honor fraternity and served as a supplemental instructor. He and Lisa were married in 2009 and he found his calling as a teacher. For the last eight years he taught Advance Placement World History at Glenda Dawson High School in Pearland, Texas. As an AP teacher he was selected for attendance at Summer Institutes and graded exams as an AP Reader. Will enjoyed chaperoning students on summer trips abroad.
Will coached both Boys and Girls Cross Country, and Track and Field teams. Holding a commercial driver’s license, Will regularly volunteered to drive other teams to their out of town events. He also served as the Faculty Sponsor for the Eagle Addicts, Student Section and was a Mentor in the Pearland ISD R.I.S.E. program.
When the news of Will’s death reached the Dawson community, students, faculty, and staff responded with a groundswell of love and kindness. His memory is being honored by both traditional methods such
as a candlelight vigil, and modern expressions. Over 450 people have made contributions through gofundme to support his children. A virtual 5K walk/run is scheduled, and students created a Spotify playlist reflecting Will’s sweeping range of musical tastes. Students created sirmonisms@gmail.com to gather stories, photos and video tributes. These will be organized into a book as a wonderful way to ease the grief of those who love him and preserve memories, so they can be passed on to his young son and daughter.
The Family will receive friends from noon until 2 pm on March 6, 2021 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 4051 Old Shell Road, Mobile. The funeral service will immediately follow the visitation. Burial will be at Mobile Memorial Gardens. Flowers may be sent to St. Paul’s Church on Saturday morning. The church will also receive donations for the William D. Sirmon Memorial Scholarship Fund to support the Dawson students he loved so much.
1983-2021
A church service will be held at 2pm at St. Paul's Episopal Church on Saturday, 03/06/21 followed by a commital service at the gravesite.
