CW3 William Clifton “Bill” Billingsley, U.S. Army (Retired) died in Huntsville on April 12, 2018 at the age of 76. He was born in Cotton County, Oklahoma on November 11, 1941 and is survived by his devoted wife of 52 years, Joyce Lynda Billingsley of Huntsville; two daughters, Alison Williams and Sharon Green, and husband, Todd; and granddaughter; Mia Williams, all of Nashville, TN. Other survivors include two brothers, Carl Billingsley (Cathie) of Greensboro, North Carolina and Larry Billingsley (Teresa) of Elgin, Oklahoma; and one sister, Jodi Riddle (Joe) of Norman, Oklahoma; five nieces and one nephew; four grand-nieces and four grand-nephews.
A celebration of Bill’s life will be held in the near future. For anyone wishing to honor his memory by making a donation, the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association were both close to his heart.
Bill was above all a soldier and patriot, serving his country for 20 years in the UK, Germany, and Southeast Asia. He received numerous awards from the US Army and Republic of Vietnam including the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry and the US Army’s Meritorious Service Medal.
After retiring from service Bill became a journalist as “The Rough Writer” at the North Augusta Star, in South Carolina. In 1982 he and his family came to Huntsville where he became a Communications Engineer working in support of US Defense programs including the communications systems at Kwajalein Missile Range and the ideation of critical components of the US National Defense System being used today.
Bill claimed Scottish descent with connections to three clans, and in recent years traveled with friends to Scotland annually to the Islay Festival of Music and Malt.
A true renaissance man, Bill was passionate about life. Always a friend, mentor, and often an uncle or father figure. “The Library” was his favorite place to be for sharing conversations over maybe a dram….or two.
William C. Billingsley
1941-2018
United States Army
“Gone to Fiddlers Green”
