Lions International Trading Pin Club

Meet Your Officers

William "Bill" Middleton, PDG

Oklahoma

Lion Bill Middleton, who was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, was the first child in his family. He has three brothers and four sisters, all of whom presently live in or near Vicksburg. Upon graduation from high school, Lion Bill went on active duty with the Navy. When he returned home on leave for the first time, he married his childhood sweetheart, Betty McIntyre, whom he had known since he was six years old.

The young Middleton couple lived near several Navy bases until he was discharged in 1960. Lion Bill then went to work for Southwestern Bell for two years. After that, he joined the U.S. Army and the Middleton's were on the move again. One of his assignments took the couple to Germany for several years. In 1980, Lion Bill retired from the Army and Bill and Betty established their home in Lawton, Oklahoma. Bill then worked several years for Bell & Howell before retiring permanently. During all this time, Bill and Betty managed to have two sons, one daughter and three granddaughters. Unfortunately, Betty passed away in June of 1997.

In the fall of 1997, Lion Bill attended the USA/Canada Forum in Lexington, Kentucky, where a mutual friend introduced him to Yolanda. They became close friends and attended many Lions functions together. As Lion Bill tells it he chased Yolanda until she caught him in 2004. Lion Bill proved to be a very wise man by moving to Yolanda's home town of Enid, Oklahoma. Since their marriage, they have attended many pin swaps, which helped Yolanda to generate an interest in pin trading for herself. She now has a modest collection and has recently participated in the Transportation Series by having a couple of pins made with her name on them.

PDG Bill Middleton was elected to a two year term on the Lions International Pin Traders Board of Directors in 2006 during the LCI convention in Boston. He will complete his term in 2008 during the LITPC Alternate Site Meeting in Jefferson City, Missouri. He is very proud of the several pins he has designed, particularly the one he calls his "Yes Ma'am" pin.