Billy Myrl Estes

Bill Estes, known to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren as Papa, passed on to a better place August 9, 2013.Though he will be deeply missed by all those that knew and loved him, we know that Bill is in Heaven looking back on his life and saying, with his usual grin, “my cup runneth over.” Bill was born on April 29, 1927, in Burkburnett, Texas, and grew up in the Wichita Falls area. After high school, he played college basketball at Midwestern University in Wichita Falls until he joined the Navy during WWII.After the war, he returned to school at University of North Texas in Denton, but then transferred to McMurry University in Abilene when he was offered a basketball scholarship. At McMurry, Bill met his one true love, Lila Kathryn Winters, and they began a long and magical love affair.Their song was “Again,” best sung by Doris Day.The song refers to “That once in a lifetime” that lasted, in Bill and Lila’s case, for 64 years. On their first date, Bill boldly told Lila that they would have “three little busters.” If that scared Lila, it didn’t scare her off.(And, Bill turned out to be right about the little busters – well, sort of...three little busterettes)After Bill graduated from McMurry with a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration, he and Lila married in Abilene, on June 12, 1949, and settled in Big Spring, Texas, for a time. Bill was called back to military service in the Army during the Korean War and was honorably discharged after it ended.After military service, Lila and Bill moved back to Big Spring, Texas.After a short stint as a repo man, Bill began working in the insurance industry, later owning a successful insurance brokerage business for many years.He never really retired from the insurance business but continued working with his daughter, Debney, in her insurance business through the rest of his life.For most of their working lives, Bill shared his office with Lila and her real estate business. Bill was a servant of God; and he always made sure that church was an important part of his family’s life.He served as Chairman of the Board for Wesley United Methodist Church in Big Spring where he taught Sunday school.Bill was also a community supporter, serving in leadership positions in numerous civic organizations there.After over 40 years in Big Spring, Bill and Lila moved to Mesquite in 2000 to be close to their children and grandchildren.In Mesquite, Bill and Lila became members of First United Methodist Church, where they were welcomed with open arms by a warm congregation. Bill is remembered for his fantastic pancakes and French toast, perfect milkshakes (both banana and vanilla), the sheer delight he enjoyed dancing with Lila, his amazing wedding toasts, love of WD 40 (not shared by Lila), affinity for old Westerns and Pink Panther movies, books written by Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum and John Grisham, his unbelievable sense of direction and his incredibly beautiful, droll and dry wit.He loved the Three Stooges, Red Skelton, and Tim Conway, especially on the Carol Burnett Show.He remained an avid snow skier until he was 70, and did not let a broken ankle deter him from enjoying senior discounts on the mountain. He also loved tennis, a really good spinach salad, toothpicks, that old green electric skillet, washing dishes in the kitchen sink but not draining the dishwater (we never knew why), the movie “The In-Laws” (“Serpentine! Serpentine!”), Columbo, and any movie starring James Garner.He also loved the Rangers, the Mavericks, and the Cowboys, especially during the Staubach years. One of his favorite activities was having coffee at McDonalds with his coffee group twice a week.Bill’s favorite place was anywhere next to Lila. Bill was tough, living most of his life with a bullet lodged in his skull from an accident during his teenage years.He enjoyed entertaining his grandchildren by sticking magnets to that place on his forehead.Random cuts and bruises never slowed him down and he often could not recall why a finger or toe was black and blue.Bill enjoyed crossword puzzles, especially the New York Times puzzles – even the difficult ones on Saturday – as well as Sudoku and bridge, which Bill and Lila played socially and competitively. Bill never told anyone, but his military testing showed a Mensa-level IQ. Bill loved sharing his athletic abilities with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, teaching them how to throw, pitch, and hit baseballs, serve and hit backhands in tennis, shoot lay-ups, free throws and pull-up jumpers in basketball, and to play and enjoy golf.He always taught with patience and love, and he rarely missed one of his grandchildren’s ball games.He encouraged and lifted each of them. And, Bill was a fun-loving, kid-at-heart with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.They will all remember the hair-raising “Thrill Hill” rides as he drove them on the steepest downhill road in Big Spring.They will remember his endearing, “Hi, Shug” as they greeted him.They will remember picking pecans, long walks, and his tendency to whistle and sing to nonsensical songs with them. And, too, they will remember building snowmen, dodging tumbleweeds, and his trick of telling them they could leave his lap, but then pulling them back to hold them just a little while longer. In Heaven, Bill is joining his parents, Dow and Bessie Estes, his little brother, Kenneth Estes, and his big sister, Joyce Taylor.So very many family members are missing him here on Earth until they see him again: his beloved wife Lila; his three daughters and their husbands, Debney and Ford Farris, Denise and Karl Kutch, and Dawn Estes and David Timmins; his six grandchildren and their spouses, Heather and Justin Randolph, Brant and LeeAnn Farris, Kelly and Justin Keen, Kevin Kutch, Grayson Timmins, and Katy Timmins; and his seven great-grandchildren, Addie Farris, Boston Farris, Kinsley Keen, Connor Randolph, Hudson Randolph, Mackenzie Randolph, and Madison Randolph, with another baby Keen on the way.Other family members who miss him as well are: Bill’s little brother, James Estes and his wife Nancy, Bill’s little sister, Wanda Baber, his precious mother-in-law Gladys Winters, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. Bill’s ashes will be interred at Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery on Friday, August 16, 2013, at 10:30 AM, with family and close friends invited, Reverend David Weber officiating. Bill’s well-lived life will be celebrated at First United Methodist Church at 300 N. Galloway, Mesquite, Texas on Friday, August 16, 2013, at 2:00 PM, again with Reverend David Weber officiating.Donations in Bill’s name may be made to the First United Methodist Church in Mesquite.Those wishing to leave condolences or to share a memory are encouraged to visit the New Hope Funeral Home website at www.newhopefh.com.