Former Norman Mayor and Oklahoma Rep. Bill Nations died at 82 on Feb. 4 after battling cancer.
Nations was born in Greenville, Texas, in 1942. He attended Noble High School and earned a history degree from OU. He attended dental school at Baylor University, where he met his wife, Teena Nations. The two married on June 2, 1967, in Dallas.
Former Norman Mayor and state legislator Bill Nations died on Feb. 4 at 82. Read more about his legacy at oudaily.com.
Nations served in the Navy until 1970 when he and Teena moved to Norman, where he opened a dental practice on Main Street. Nations was a competitive sailor in his free time. Teena was an educator and administrator at Norman Public Schools.
Nations was encouraged to run for Norman City Council by Dick Reynolds, a council member from 1968-70 who later served as mayor from 1986-92. Nations served on council from 1986-92 and as mayor from 1992-98.
In 1971, Tara Nations, Bill and Teena’s daughter, was born.
“He loved everyone, and wanted to be inclusive of everyone … I heard somebody describe him as a ‘renaissance man,’” Tara Nations said. “He broke horses and worked cattle ranches and did all those sorts of things growing up, but definitely had an appreciation for the arts and was a true romantic when it came to paintings or music.
“(He was) a very complicated human being, but absolutely my hero.”
‘This is the best time to have lived in Norman’
Nations was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1998, a Democrat representing central Norman, and served in the House until 2010, when he reached his term limit. On the side, he kept statistics at OU basketball games.
“This is the best time to have lived in Norman and central Oklahoma,” Nations told the Norman Transcript in 2010. “It’s fun to have been involved and been in the room for a lot of things that have happened in the last 24 years.”
Scott Martin, president and CEO of the Norman Chamber of Commerce, told OU Daily he met Nations while he was mayor, and then later worked with him in the state Legislature. Martin, a former Republican representative, said despite their different political parties, Nations was a mentor to him and they became good friends.
“He took me in and put me under his wing and gave me that sage wisdom that not everybody's willing to share,” Martin said. “Since we were coming from different parties, you'd think there'd be this natural friction, and there never was. It was never about party, it was always about the person and about our community.”
Martin said Nations was dedicated to improving Norman and creating a coalition working towards its betterment.
“Bill was first and foremost about people and individuals, but then he was about the greater good, and he genuinely wanted Norman to be the absolute best it could be. Taking credit wasn't an issue for him. It was all about, ‘What can we do as a collective group to make Norman great?’” Martin said. “And he did that by bringing people together, building coalitions and being a thoughtful leader, and we need more of that in today's society.”
‘We both reminded each other often how lucky we were’
Nations later began a relationship with Lynne Miller, another former Norman mayor. The two were a couple for 10 years, Miller said.
“We both reminded each other often how lucky we were, because most people in their 70s and 80s don't they don't get a chance to have a new, loving, committed relationship,” Miller told OU Daily.
Miller said Nations brought people of different cultures and ideologies together and was a great listener. He also helped her with her campaign for mayor in 2016, she said.
The couple loved to travel together, with their most recent trip being to Italy in September. Nations was dedicated, an incredible storyteller and patient, Miller said.
“We have a line of people that are willing to speak at his funeral, and that really says something about somebody,” Miller said. “He affected a lot of lives.”
‘There's never been as great a champion for Norman’
Joe Dorman served with Nations in the Oklahoma House, where Nations was involved in education and the decriminalization of marijuana.
“He was one of those quiet souls,” Dorman said. “I never saw him lose his temper once, even when the odds were stacked against him ... he never lost his passion or his belief of service.”
Dorman said more public servants need to be mentors the way Nations was, by investing in younger leaders.
Andy Rieger, former editor of the Norman Transcript and former OU journalism adjunct instructor, said Nations crossed civic and cultural lines to meet with people, which taught Rieger the importance of building relationships with those he disagreed with.
“In my mind there's never been as great a champion for Norman (and) Cleveland County as Bill Nations,” Rieger said.
Rieger said Nations was an admirable public servant who was passionate about building a strong community.
“He was not a champion of the elite, and he wasn’t a champion of the downtrodden,” Rieger said. “He was just there for everyone.”
In 2012, following the death of his wife, Teena, Nations worked for the Oklahoma Dental Board.
Tara Nations said Bill was caring and soft-spoken and taught her multiple life lessons.
“The one lesson I haven't learned is how to love and be loved. I think he did that more successfully than anybody I've ever known,” Nations said.
Rep. Jared Deck (D-Norman) wrote in a statement to OU Daily that Nations encouraged him during his first campaign for office.
“He served the community of Norman in numerous ways and worked tirelessly advocating universal health coverage for children and expanding funding for weather research on campus,” Deck wrote. “Public service is a grand commitment and I’m grateful for his.”
Emily Virgin, former Oklahoma state representative for House District 44 and Nations’ successor, wrote in a text to OU Daily that Nations was a mentor to her and left her with “big shoes to fill.” She added he dedicated his life to public service and improving Norman.
“He could’ve been heavy-handed in his advice to me given his decades of experience in public service, but that wasn’t Bill,” Virgin wrote. “He was always there if I needed him, but he stepped back to let me forge my own path.”
Virgin said she, along with the residents of Norman, are indebted to Nations’ service.
“He was a good man, a great mentor and an excellent public servant,” Virgin wrote. “I’m thankful to his family for sharing him with us all these years.”
Mayor Larry Heikkila wrote in a statement that Nation’s legacy of public service has impacted Norman and Oklahoma.
“In honoring his service, we extend our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to his family and friends during this difficult time,” Heikkila wrote.
In July, Nations and Reynolds filed a lawsuit in hopes of preventing a nonbinding special election for the proposed entertainment district in University North Park. Later that month, a Cleveland County judge issued a joint dismissal order.
In 2008, Nations told OU students to engage in politics, encouraging them to participate in the electoral system he believed students could influence.
“If I have one message for you,” Nations said. “It is that you can make a difference and it is on you to do that.”
The funeral service will be held Saturday afternoon at the First Presbyterian Church.
Nations was preceded in death by his wife, Teena Nations. He is survived by his daughter, Tara Nations, and two grandchildren, Andres and Brie.
This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure, Ana Barboza, Peggy Dodd and Ismael Lele.
