William “Bill” McVeigh, the father of Timothy J. McVeigh, a U.S. Army veteran from Niagara County who committed the deadliest act of homegrown terrorism in American history on April 19, 1995, which resulted in 168 deaths, has lived a life marked by tragedy and resilience.
A tall, athletic, and shy man who rarely speaks with the media, Bill McVeigh thinks every day about the families in Oklahoma City who suffered due to his son’s hateful actions 25 years ago, wishing he could change what happened but knowing it is impossible. Despite his son’s infamy, he never stopped loving him.
Bill resides in Pendleton, New York, where he worked at a radiator plant to support his family. An Army veteran himself, Bill was married to Mildred, who worked at a travel agency, until they divorced. Their son Timothy lived with Bill after the separation. Bill McVeigh has three children: Timothy, Jennifer, and Patricia McVeigh.
He still lives in the same small, beige ranch home that the FBI SWAT team searched on April 21, 1995, just two days after the bombing. Bill vividly remembers the encounter, especially the phone call from a Buffalo agent that changed everything. After working the midnight shift and running errands, he had just gone to bed when the agent called, asking to come over. Despite being unprepared for company, Bill allowed the agents to search his home without calling a lawyer. The next day, he flew with FBI agents to an Oklahoma jail where his son was held, attempting unsuccessfully to get Timothy to talk to investigators.
During this difficult period, Bill handled himself with remarkable composure and resilience. Authorities, concerned about potential violence against him, stationed state troopers to guard his home 24/7 for several weeks.
Timothy McVeigh’s trial ended in 1997 with his conviction for mass murder and a death sentence. Bill did not attend his son’s execution. After retiring in 1999 from the radiator plant, Bill continued his routine as normally as possible, though life was far from normal. He remains a father who lost his son, reflecting, “Every day, I think of him almost every day. I don’t keep track, you know what I mean, but I do think about him.”
Bill McVeigh’s resilience is evident not just in his handling of the tragic circumstances but also in his quiet, steadfast approach to life. Friends and neighbors describe him as a private and decent man who, despite everything, never sought the limelight or public sympathy. His story is a reminder of the often unseen collateral damage that acts of terrorism inflict on families, leaving scars that never fully heal.