William "Bill" Walter Watkins, Jr.

WILLIAM “BILL” WALTER WATKINS, JR.

ASHFORD, AL - William “Bill” Walter Watkins, a resident of Ashford, Alabama, passed peacefully Wednesday morning, May 4, 2022, at his home with his family by his side. He was 92.

A memorial service will be held at 6:00 P.M. Monday, May 9, 2022, at Wright Funeral Home & Crematory Chapel with Brother Joe Wyatt, and Brother Jeff Peacock officiating. The family will receive friends from 4:00 until 6:00 P.M. prior to the service. Wright Funeral Home & Crematory is overseeing arrangements.

Mr. Watkins was born in McDowell County, West Virginia, to the late William Walter Watkins, Sr., and Mary Louise Tosh Watkins. He served his country during the Korean war as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, stationed in Japan. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Virginia Polytechnic and pursued his entire career in the grocery and convenience store industry. He played a pivotal role with Majik Mart to open the first chain of convenience stores in England. Upon returning to America, he was instrumental in designing the Modica Market at Seaside Central Square in Seaside, Florida. In earlier years, he was an avid hunter, fisherman and loved the outdoors. Bill became a volunteer for Red Cross Disaster Services in 2005 serving victims of hurricanes Rita, Katrina, and Florence in addition to the flooding disaster in Bainbridge, NY (2006), the Alabama tornado (2007), and the San Diego Wildfires (2007). He became certified as an instructor in many Red Cross services and went on to teach others. Later in life, he returned to his love of woodworking with his focus being on what he would enter in the National Peanut Festival contest each year. He was a member of the Liberty Baptist Church in Pansey, Alabama. Following in the footsteps of his father and other Watkins,’ Bill joined the Masons in Henderson, North Carolina in 1975 and became a Master Mason. He moved his membership to lodge 493 in Ashford and was a member in good standing.

Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Mary Lou Taylor Watkins and a granddaughter, Katelyn Nicole Boyd.

Leaving to cherish his memories are his daughter, Lynn Watkins Boyd (Ritchie Bickley) of Ashford, AL; his son, Bill Watkins of Dallas, TX; his grandchildren, Madison Boyd of Ashford, AL, Celesta Strealy (Mark) of Fort Worth, TX, and Jade Watkins of Brooklyn, NY; and a very special friend, Jo Ann Hutton of Pansey, AL.

WRIGHT FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY
Phone 334-6WE-CARE (693-2273)
www.wrightfuneralhomeandcrematory.com
Celebrating a life, one family at a time.

Our establishment does own and operate its own crematory, so your loved one never has to leave our care.