Billie Ray Sewell

On June 26, 1926 in Caddo Mills, Texas, Billie Ray Sewell was born an only child to the parents of Ray and Inez Sewell.

At a very young age Billie met his future wife Minta Lawson. Their parents were friends and therefore Bill and Minta played together as children.

The day after Bill graduated high school, he joined the Navy and was deployed to the Pacific during WWII. He witnessed the infamous raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima.

Funeral Service will be 10am Friday at Shady Oaks Baptist Church in Hurst followed by Graveside service at 11:45am at Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Park. Visitation will be from 6-8pm at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home in Colleyville on Thursday.

After the war, Bill and Minta started dating and then married on Sept. 3, 1947. It was the same day Bill’s parents were married. It was also the same day Minta’s parents were married.

Shortly, afterwards, the Korean War started and once again it was an opportunity to receive good employment, so Bill enlisted in the Marines. While in South Korea he was baptized in the Pusan River.

After his tour of duty, on his return home, his first child, Donna, did not know her Daddy which produced many tears. The Dallas Morning News was there to capture that moment.

After serving his time in the military, Bill began a new career in the banking industry. He started as a teller and swept the floors at night. His career landed him and his family to several places. It also allowed him to attend college at Southern Methodist University and finish his degree in banking and finance.

He became a vice president in the Correspondent Department , a banker’s banker. He loaned money to smaller banks that in turn, loaned the money to farmers, ranchers and other business owners all across Oklahoma and Texas. At one point in his career, he knew every president of every bank in the state of Oklahoma. He had a very dynamic personality and everyone loved him. He even became the spokes person for a bank doing their television commercials.

He eventually made it back to Texas and became the executive vice president of several banks and finally making president. Bill did business the old fashioned way, with a hand shake. He was always supportive and willing to offer a helping hand to those who needed it when times were bad. He literally was many people’s last hope in receiving funding for their struggling business. If someone came to him and told their story and how they would repay the loan, he would honor that loan and many became very successful due to that first loan and the relationship they built with him.

Upon retirement, Bill bought a motor home and traveled with Minta to many places. He loved to fish, square dance with friends and was great at repairing things. He loved sports, especially football and he was the best one man pit crew when he and his son Roger raced motorcycles. Golfing and fishing was his favorite hobbies.

Bill loved the cowboy way of life. Some of Bill’s friends had cattle, so he and his son Kyle would help the cattle herds on the weekends.

Among other things, Bill was a Mason, a deacon at his church and last but not least a great husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. He was a man of God and believed in doing the right thing, even when no one was looking. His sense of humor was his greatest character. Even till the end of life Bill was able to keep the family laughing. He was an amazing man to know and always a pleasure to be around.

Bill Sewell passed away on July 6,2014 in his home at the age of 88. In the end he had no suffering, he just finally wore out and passed peacefully when God called him home, where he is now surrounded with the comfort of others.

Billie Ray Sewell is preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Inez Sewell, his precious daughter, Donna Lynn Black and his special grandchild, Jace Sewell.

Bill is survived by his beloved wife of 66 years, Minta Fay Sewell and his two sons, Kyle Ray Sewell and Roger Lawson Sewell. He is also survived by 7 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren and his sister-in-law Becca Padilla.

He will be missed but never forgotten in the memories of those who had the pleasure to know him.