William “Billy” T. Gilstrap Jr. went to be with the Lord on May 25, 2017, after a heroic ten year battle with cancer. He is preceded in death by his father, William T. Gilstrap Sr. Billy was born on Nov. 10, 1952 in Columbia, South Carolina, but grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from Georgia Tech with an electrical engineering degree.
He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Monte; his daughters, Rene (Patrick) Sprague, Hannah (Ryan) Lopez and Marissa (Jasper) Roberts; his son, Walt Gilstrap; and his six grandchildren. He is also survived by two sisters, Donna (Clifton) Hastings and Susan (Dan) Johnson; brother, Tommy Gilstrap and mother, Maxine Gilstrap.
Billy spent the majority of his professional career working as an engineer. He also worked alongside his wife for the Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes in various capacities from 1996 until the present. In his spare time, he was a licensed amateur Ham Radio operator and a volunteer at Camp Smile. He was a faithful member of Central Baptist Church in Decatur and attended Spring Hill Baptist Church regularly since his move to Mobile. He spent innumerable hours studying and sharing God’s word. A dedicated leader of his family, Billy will be missed every day.
A memorial service was held at Spring Hill Baptist Church in Mobile on Saturday, May 27th at 2 p.m. Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes, Pilots for Christ or Camp Smile.
