WILLIAM ROBERT DUPRIEST's Obituary
William Robert “Bill” DuPriest, 89
November 20, 1936 – December 19, 2025
Bill DuPriest, a gifted writer, devoted husband, and beloved brother, passed away on December 19, 2025, in South Miami, Florida. He was 89 years old.
Bill was born on November 20, 1936, in Miami, Florida, and his lifelong passion for language and storytelling began early. At just 14 years old, he started his career as a printer’s apprentice at the Monticello Daily News, one of Florida’s oldest newspapers. This formative experience sparked a remarkable journey that would span journalism, public relations, publishing, photography, and education.
Bill served as an air traffic controller in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, stationed on Okinawa. After his military service and studies at the University of Miami, he joined Outboard Marine International in Nassau as a service writer, then founded and led its technical writing and publications department for three years.
Returning to Miami, Bill became a reporter and bureau chief for The Miami Herald. His assignments were both varied and historic: from profiling entertainers like Allan Sherman, Robert Goulet and Buddy Hackett to covering Project Mercury at Cape Canaveral during the height of the space race. As bureau chief in Cocoa during the area’s “moonboom,” he filed up to 25 stories a day and captured many exclusive images.
Later, as South Dade bureau chief, Bill covered everything from Everglades National Park to Homestead Air Force Base. His dedication earned him honorary membership in the Air Force’s 33rd Tactical Air Command. During Hurricane Betsy, he was the only Miami Herald reporter dispatched to the Bahama Islands.
Bill authored five books, including two on flight attendant careers for ARCO Publications, and “Enzo Gallo,” a biography written under the pseudonym Don Priestly. He completed two unpublished novels: "Commando Paratroopers of Dogwood Avenue,” which earned honors in a national writing competition, and “Frangipani Nights: A Writer’s Memoir, “which features his own unpublished photograph of President John F. Kennedy with astronauts Gordon Cooper and Gus Grissom.
As founding editor and art director of Steward/ess and Flight Service magazine and editor of Air-Liner News and The Florida Business Leader, Bill helped shape national conversations around aviation and business. He held key roles with Diversified Services of the Bahamas and David Pearson Associates, crafting campaigns for clients such as Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas Airways, Casa de Campo, and Sugar Mill Country Club. He later became the first civilian public information officer for the City of Miami Police Department.
Bill made a lasting impact during a 28-year tenure with Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Initially hired under a Rockefeller Foundation grant to foster citizen engagement, he went on to produce its first employee newspaper, corporate-style annual report, and major marketing campaigns. His 1985 summer school campaign — featuring bold visuals and clever slogans like “Summer School -- It’s Really Big!”— boosted attendance by more than 8,000 students and became a model of cost-effective outreach.
He also led seminars on media relations for school officials and produced more than 300 live TV and radio broadcasts for WLRN-TV/FM. As a speechwriter, he penned more than 200 speeches for school board members and other officials and played a pivotal role in launching satellite schools in partnership with local businesses.
His copywriting skills extended to numerous clients and causes — from SmartCredit USA to the American Red Cross — and he coined memorable slogans such as “Help with homework is just a fingertip away” for the Dial-A-Teacher program.
Bill’s photography was equally celebrated. His work appeared in textbooks and historical publications and was exhibited in galleries in New York City and South Florida. His images are part of the permanent collections of major corporations and the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach. He was a member of the American Society of Media Photographers and participated in its juried project “A Day in the Life of South Florida.”
As a freelance journalist, Bill contributed to Florida Sportsman, The Science Teacher, TravelAge, and other publications. He covered national conventions for educational associations and produced special travel features on destinations across the Americas.
Bill also gave generously of his time to community organizations. He served as president of EdNet and chaired education committees for both the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. He led public relations efforts for the Greater Miami Chapter of the American Red Cross, founded MIAPUG!, the Miami Palm User Group, and volunteered as an auctioneer for WPBT-Channel 2’s televised art auctions.
Throughout his life, Bill remained a passionate reader, writer, fly fisherman, chef, and gourmand. He loved nature deeply — knowing the names of trees and plants both edible and not — and had an uncanny ability to document life through words and images. He was known for his quick wit, sharp mind, deep kindness, and unwavering generosity. He was an insightful conversationalist and a man who always saw the good in people.
To those who knew him best, Bill was more than accomplished — he was a true Renaissance man. He could fix anything, summarize vast information with ease, make up jokes on the spot, or recite a poem just to brighten someone’s day.
He is survived by his beloved wife of nearly 52 years, Virginia Irene Miller, Coral Gables, FL; sisters Merta Edwards Platt, Charlottesville, VA, and Marcia Edwards Ford, Woodland Park, CO; brother-in-law Keith Brian Miller, Hollywood, FL, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, William Ferris DuPriest and Annie Louise Schwall, and his brother, Thurman Edwards.
Bill shared his life with his devoted wife, who called him the love of her life, her best friend, confidant and greatest fan. Together they traveled the world, visiting exotic places like Easter Island, and sharing adventures fueled by art and storytelling.
Bill is lovingly remembered by all those whose lives he touched with his humor, intellect, creativity, and compassion. May his memory bring comfort to all who knew him — and may his legacy continue to inspire those who value truth, beauty, service, and love.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, February 26, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Van Orsdel Funeral Chapel, 4600 SW 8th Street, Coral Gables. Services will begin at 6:45 pm with Military Funeral Honors. A Champagne Toast to Bill’s incredible life will follow the service.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Coral Gables Community Foundation in the name of William Robert DuPriest.
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