Billy Dee Canaday

BILLY DEE CANADAY, 81, of Paris, passed from this life after a sudden illness Sunday May 18, 2014 at the Medical Center of Plano. Funeral services will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday May 21, 2014 in the chapel of Starrett Funeral Home with Rev. Billy Norris officiating. Interment will follow in the Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Hopkins County.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

Bill was born September 2, 1932 in Yantis, a son of Henry and Cleo Newkirk Canaday. He attended Yantis schools, then spent a career of thirty-seven years with the ARCO Corporation, now British Petroleum. He was a faithful member of Southside Baptist Church, where he was an usher. His commitment to Christ and His Church led him to a love and concern to all people who were sick or in need, and he spent countless hours visiting the sick and caring for those who could not care for themselves. In his spare time, he loved to attend Estate Sales, and enjoyed buying and selling antiques. He was an avid reader, enjoying Western novels, autobiographies, and politics. Bill was a loyal, red-blooded American, who supported our military, and had a great concern for the American flag and its proper treatment. He loved John Wayne and Billy Graham.

Bill married Wysta Jean Martin on November 10, 1951 in Sulphur Springs, and they spent over sixty-two years of building family and memories.

He was preceded in death by two daughters, Sharon Meredith and Pamela Eaton; a grandson, Joshua Don Eaton; his parents; four brothers, Curtis Canaday, David Leon Canaday, James W. Canaday and Andrew Canaday; three sisters, Bessie Stribling, Audrey Wallace, and Margie French.

Bill is survived by his loving wife Jean; a daughter, Debra Margraves and her husband Joe Bob, of Paris; nine grandchildren, Leasa Duron, Chris Margraves, Tiffany LeMonte, Ben Margraves, Jeremy Furr, Ronnie Smith, Jenna Margraves, Crystal Meredith, and Billy Eaton; sixteen great-grandchildren; two sisters, Jelline Steed, of Sulphur Springs, and Odeen Walker, of Waynesboro, Mississippi; his loving and loyal canine companion Blue; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Serving as pallbearers will be Chris Margraves, Ben Margraves, Ronnie Smith, Billy Eaton, Marcus Koenig, Derek Margraves and Daren Margraves. Honorary pallbearers are men from his Sunday School class at Southside Baptist Church, John Cole, Bobby Bangs, and John Powell.