February 17, 1949 – September 23, 2025
On February 17, 1949, Billy McWilliams was born to the late H.A. and Vessie Marjorie (Jones) McWilliams (later Ruppe) in Brownfield, TX. He married Dixie Woodard on May 19, 1972, at Wellman Church of Christ. A beloved husband (widowed), father, and PopPop, Billy first farmed, then worked at WD Wilkins before his first career as a truck driver with Cal-Maine Foods, leaving to start a second career stocking the frozen section at United Supermarkets. A man of strong Christian conviction, he was a long-time member of the Broadway Church of Christ but visited other congregations such as Green Lawn later in life.
Billy enjoyed watching television and movies, in particular, Columbo, McCloud, Matlock, NCIS, and Tombstone, westerns, or anything else that the channel ran a marathon of. He loved watching and talking about sports with his son and was a fan of Texas Tech and the Seattle Seahawks. He was a loving and devoted husband to Dixie, especially throughout her own cancer battle. They kept a home full of love and positivity centered on the Lord Jesus Christ. Billy was a good father to Timothy, correcting and encouraging as he raised him to follow the Lord. He embraced everyone who Timothy kept in his orbit as family, including friends Stephen (and Krystal) and James (and Michelle) and the two women he considered as daughter-in-law, Amber and later, Chelsea. Once blessed with his grandson, Jeremiah, he became the “Best PopPop Ever,” and considered it an honor to pick him up from school as he did with his own son years before. He adored his granddaughter, Mandy, and counted it a singular moment in his life to see her reaction light up when he attended one of her concerts or basketball games. He and Chelsea had a special kinship and though he was stubbornly independent, truly appreciated the care she gave him during the last years of his life.
He had an aggressive infection in August of 2022 which took the removal of much rectal tissue to contain. In the Fall of 2023, he was found to have multiple cancer nodes and began the first of many different treatments, each with limited results. He battled hard, undergoing chemo treatments every other week for over 2 years, determined to lengthen his life and see as much of his grandkids’ lives as possible. He never complained, and even in his last days in the hospital he said he wasn’t in any pain, “just tired.” Through it all, he lived out a strength and courage that inspired many and showed the love of God the Father to his family and loved ones alike. He was a cherished example of a life that loved people and cared for those around him, which we sorely need in these days.
Survivors include his son, Timothy (Chelsea) McWilliams; grandson, Jeremiah McWilliams (son of Amber); granddaughter, Mandy Holland; sibling, Odell (Linda) McWilliams; nephews Toby (Anna) McWilliams (and children), Tony McWilliams, Tracey (Cara Lynn) McWilliams (and children), Jody (Kathryn) Woodard; nieces Mylinda (Tyler) Wood (and children), Bethany (Michael) Land (and children), Sarah (Brandon) Felts (and children) and countless others who have been family to our family throughout his life and in the future to come.
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Visitation
- Friday, October 3rd, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers; 6025 82nd Street, Lubbock, TX 79424
Service
- Saturday, October 4th, 2:00 pm at Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers; 6025 82nd Street, Lubbock, TX 79424
