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Sadly, and with love, on September 25, 2025, Billy Joe Johns, of Pensacola, FL., left this earth to join his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Billy was born July 19, 1946, to Ely Edward Johns and Gladys Mae Jones Johns, just outside of Evergreen in a rural area known as Paul, AL, in Conecuh County.At a young age, he and his mother moved to Andalusia, Al. When his stepfather, A.C “Buddy” Sturgis joined their family, they moved to Macon, GA., where Billy started 1st grade. In Billy’s teen years, the family moved back to Andalusia. Billy graduated from Andalusia High School, “Class of 1965”. He attended Jefferson Davis Jr. College (JDJC), in Brewton, AL. prior to joining the U. S. Air Force.Billy was a veteran of the Vietnam war where he served in the 823rd Red Horse, CES, Bien Hoa, AB, Vietnam. Later, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, 4th Force Reconnaissance Company, Mobile, AL.After returning from Vietnam, Billy and Ruth made their home in Pensacola, FL. He initially worked in commercial construction as a prestressed concrete erector and, also, Red Iron erector. He worked at NADEP, in Pensacola, where he ran the Rubber Shop and the Foundry. When NADEP closed, he moved to central FL. and worked with the U.S.A.F., Department of Defense (DOD), at Avon Park Bombing Range, a detachment of McDill Air Force Base in Tampa. His most favorite job, EVER, was working at the Bombing Range located on 106,000 acres, with plenty of wildlife to see daily. There he ran heavy equipment, did control burns, fight wildfires and occasionally counted wild turkeys.Billy loved his “Punk” (Ruth), early morning coffee with the Waffle House crew, spending time at their Pensacola Beach condo and metal detecting on the beach. Billy loved the outdoors, fishing and hunting with his best buddies in those South Alabama woods, that he loved so dearly, in Covington County. He was proud to be a “Son of the South” and a South Alabama guy. He loved “Dixie”. ROLL TIDE!!Billy and Ruth were high school sweethearts from age 15 and 16. They married on December 7, 1968, and would soon have celebrated 57 years of marriage. He stopped loving her today…NOT!He is survived by his beloved wife, Ruth Carnley Johns and their three children, Nicole Johns Campanella, Ilaina Johns Burgess (Joe) and Nickolas Joseph Johns. He was Papa J to his five grandchildren, Emily, Caitlin, Marissa, Jamison and Brantley Joseph; sister-in-law, Dorothy Carnley Griggs; Nieces, Norma Nolen (Greg) and Tammy Butts (John); Cousin, Myra Potts Wamble (Larry).Preceding Billy in death is his mother, Gladys Sturgis; Stepfather, Buddy Sturgis; Father, Ely Johns; Mother-in-Love, Winnie P. Gatlin Carnley and his life-long best friend/best man, Jerry Wayne Pierson, of Andalusia AL., who he loved as a brother.At Billy’s request, services are private. Interment at Barrancas National Cemetery on Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola with military honors accorded by the U.S. Air Force. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org.John 3:16

Billy Joe Johns

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