Bill G. Ayers

1936 - 2022

Funeral Services for Bill G. Ayers will be held on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 11:30 a.m. at Heflin First Methodist Church with Reverend Joy Morgan and Reverend Michael Burgess officiating. Burial will follow at the Heflin Cemetery. He passed away on Sunday, April 10, 2022 at his home in Heflin in the presence of his wife and children. Bill Ayers was born on April 5, 1936 in Chulafinnee, Alabama to Henry Lindley Ayers and Edna Grubbs Ayers. He came into the world busy and active and learned a lovefor work at an early age on the Ayers' family farm on the Tallapoosa River. He also developed a strong passion for competition in sports activities at an early age. He played basketball and baseball first in the family yard, then at Pleasant Grove Jr. High School and later played football, basketball and baseball at Cleburne County High School, Oxford High School and Ranburne High School. Bill attended Jacksonville State University on a basketball scholarship. His adult athletic passion was tennis. Bill's formal education included being graduated from Ranburne High School in 1954 and earning a bachelor's degree in education from Jacksonville State University and a master's degree in school administration from Middle Tennessee State University. Next to his love for God and his family and church, Bill's passion for life was public education. He began his career as a public educator in 1957 as an elementary school math and physical education teacher in DeKalb County, Georgia. He came to Cleburne County as principal at Fruithurst Junior High School in August of 1963. He served as Assistant Superintendent of Education, then served as Cleburne County Superintendent of Education for twelve years, and then Cleburne County Director of Career Technical Education thirty years until retirement in 2012 after fifty-six years in public education. Helping children and youth to help themselves through formal and character education was his strong passion. He loved to work and make things happen for others. He enjoyed careful management of school resources and the school system's building program. Bill's love for Heflin First Methodist Church and its people was immeasurable and brought him one of the greatest joys in his life. He loved music and singing in The Chancel Choir along with his bass and tenor brothers.He is survived by his wife of sixty-four years, Linda Campbell Ayers and three children, Marc S. Ayers (Sandy), Melinda Ayers King (Henry) and Ben C. Ayers (Marilyn) and a brother, Charles S. Ayers. He is also survived by twelve grandchildren: Jessica Ayers Fulgencio (Felipe), Jaime Ayers Patterson (Taylor), Catherine Ayers Tucker (Travis), Zachary M. Ayers (Morgan), Jonathan M. Ayers, Marcus S. Ayers, Jr., Henry L. King, Jr., Elizabeth King Lewis (Nathan), Kathryn Ayers King, Margaret Lindley Ayers, Georgia C. Ayers and Benjamin H. Ayers. He is also survived by five great-grandchildren. Bill was preceded in death by his father, Henry Lindley Ayers, his mother, Edna Grubbs Ayers, his brother, Robert Wilson Ayers, his grandparents Wilson Thad Ayers, Arizona Lindley Ayers, William Henry Grubbs and Icie Harris Grubbs. The family requests no flowers and that memorials be made to Heflin First Methodist Church, PO Box 205, Heflin, AL 36264 or the American Cancer Society.