Billy E. Crenshaw went to be with our Lord Jesus on Nov. 25, 2023. He passed at St. Catherine's Village in Madison, MS, where he was a resident in the Marian Hall assisted living community. Billy was 92 years old and the unofficial case of death was end-stage COPD.
Billy, the sixth of nine children, was born on Aug. 28, 1931, in Shreveport, LA, to Isaac Luther Crenshaw and Nellie Beckner Crenshaw. At Byrd High School he played baseball at 1st and 3rd base positions and was president of the Spanish Club. Billy was salutatorian of the first graduating class of Byrd, the first high school in LA to offer 12 years. He worked at the A&P Grocery to save money for Centenary College.
Billy said lightning struck him when he met Jean Harper, his future wife and love of his life, at a Shreveport movie theater. They married on Nov. 11, 1951 and had three daughters- Debbie, Karen and Robin, their special child who passed in 1992 at age 32.
Billy joined the U.S.A.F. in 1951 during the Korean War. He was stationed at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS, where he trained in electronics radar. He was one of two electronics instructors who remained at Keesler while the others went to Korea. He was discharged in 1955 with the rank of staff sargeant.
Billy began his 31-year career with AT&T in 1956 in LA, where he maintained four microwave stations between Shreveport and Monroe and wrote instructional booklets. His job took him and his family to AL, MS, NYC, FL and GA. In Atlanta, where he and his family lived for 37 years, Billy became a district level manager and was instrumental in planning the AT&T building in Midtown Atlanta. He retired in 1987.
In 2011 Billy, Jean and Debbie moved to Tyler, TX., where Jean died from Alzheimer's in 2016. He and Debbie moved in 2019 to Oxford, MS, where they were members of Oxford-University UMC and where Billy was involved in two bridge groups. Billy and Debbie moved to Madison, MS in June, 2023.
Billy loved people and sharing stories with them. He enjoyed watching baseball, especially the Atlanta Braves. He loved to watch old westerns and John Wayne movies. His lifelong passion for bridge began when Billy observed AT&T co-workers playing bridge during lunch. He played bridge and taught classes in Oxford and at St. Catherine's. Later in life he became interested in conservative politics and the threat of socialism in America. His heroes were Ronald Reagan and Sir Winston Churchill.
Common themes in Billy's life were reading, helping others, sharing his knowledge and having a close relationship with God. During his last days he wanted to impart to his friends and family the dangers of rollators since his rollator caused his fall and femur fracture on Nov. 14. His other crusade was to warn others about the health hazards of smoking.
Billy was preceded in death by his parents, his eight siblings, his beloved wife, Jean, his youngest daughter, Robin and two nieces and one nephew. He is survived by daughters Debbie Crenshaw of St. Catherine's Village, Karen Swenson (Dale) of Suwanee, GA and numerous nieces and nephews.
A celebration of Billy's life will be on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 1:30 to 3pm at Sebrell Funeral Home in Ridgeland, MS. Billy loved St. Catherine's Village, especially his cherished friends there and the beautiful lake which he viewed from his residence. According to his wishes, please send any memorial remembrances to St. Dominic Health Services Foundation- Dominican Fund which assists St. Catherine's Village Life Care residents who are in financial difficulty. The address is St. Dominic Health Services Foundation, 969 Lakeland Drive, Jackson, MS 39216.
In his 92 years here, Billy was a devoted husband and father and a friend to many.
He will be greatly missed, but one day we will visit with him again in Heaven.
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