William Rush Jagoe

William Rush Jagoe III, 81, of Owensboro passed away Sunday, June 24, 2018. He was born in Owensboro, a son of the late Carlos B. Jagoe and Nelda W. Jagoe.

Bill graduated from Owensboro Senior High School in 1954 and from the University of Illinois School of Urban Land Economics in 1958.

He began building homes at 14 years of age when his dad saw a way to reuse the customer returned scrap lumber and flooring at his lumber company. Jagoe Homes and Construction Co. Inc., which Bill started, went on to build over 1,600 homes in Owensboro and Daviess County and 1,500 apartments – including over 500 for low income families – throughout Western Kentucky. He built all the homes and apartments without scrap lumber and flooring. Bill also developed over 3,600 residential lots as well as several commercial buildings and nursing homes in Kentucky and Indiana.

As a member of both the Owensboro and National Association of Home Builders, Bill designed a one-write accounting system for homebuilders, which was adopted by the National Association. He was an initial member of the National Association's committee for rewriting and organizing the homebuilders accounting manual and served eight years on the Executive Board of Directors of the Kentucky Regional Homeowners Warranty Council.

He received awards from the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for designing and implementing affordable housing and his outstanding management of income-assisted rental housing.

Central Bank and Trust Co. appointed Bill to their Board of Directors and later to the Executive Committee. He was a member of an ownership control group that sold the bank and later was bought by National City Bank and PNC.

He served on the Owensboro Area Museum Board of Directors where he assisted with the new building fundraising drive and spearheaded the design and building of the museum facility on the Kentucky Wesleyan campus.

Bill was a member of Century Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and served as board member, building committee chairman, financial committee, and trustee.

Above all, he loved visiting with his family and friends. He was a devoted family man and very much cherished his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and their accomplishments. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and son.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years Elizabeth C. Jagoe, brother Carlos B. Jagoe Jr. and his wife Ethel, and brother-in-law Bill Coombs and his wife Christina. His brother John D. Jagoe is deceased.



His children include Jenny Jagoe of Hilton Head, SC, William Jagoe IV and his wife Melissa, Scott Jagoe and his wife Carmen all of Owensboro, KY, and Karen Smelser and her husband Andrew of Catron, MO. His grandchildren include Courtney Winders and her husband Kris of Lexington, KY, Eric Sears and his wife Jeni Poell of Chicago, IL, Holly Sears and her husband Stephen Arnold of Hilton Head, SC, Rush Jagoe of New Orleans, LA, Hadley Adcock and her husband Joel of Henderson, KY, Louise Murdock of Owensboro, KY, Megan Bosse and her husband Walt of Owensboro, KY, Craig Millay and his wife Laci of Stanley, KY, Woodsen Smelser and his wife Katie of Kansas City, MO, Sara Smelser of Sikeston, MO, Lindsey Jagoe and Brent Vorst of Louisville, KY, and Alex Jagoe of Owensboro, KY.

His great-grandchildren include Tyler and Eli Winders, Ada Joon and Nalin Poell, Annalei and Preslei Jo Millay, August and Franklin Bosse, Audrey, Essie, and Norah Adcock, and Amelia Jane and Elizabeth Scott Arnold.

The funeral service for Mr. Jagoe will be 10 AM Thursday June 28, 2018 at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory. Visitation will be from 3:30 until 7:00 PM Wednesday, and Thursday after 9:00 AM until time of service at the funeral home. Interment will be at Owensboro Memorial Gardens.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to Century Christian Church.

Messages of condolence may be placed at glennfuneralhome.com.