Billy Joe Reynolds

Bill Reynolds, beloved father, husband, brother, grandfather, and great grandfather slipped gently into eternity in the early morning hours of September 22, 2025.

Billy Joe was born in Milam County, Texas, on December 20, 1935, to Oswald and Josephine Reynolds. Like most folk in those days, he was born into a hardscrabble life where hard work and self sacrifice ruled each day. Dad would sometimes talk about his job as a car hop at Tex Miller's in Cameron, where all of the orders were taken not with pen and paper but rather committed to instant memory, along with the total cost of the order and the amount of change due to each customer.

After working long hours on a Saturday, Billy Joe would look forward to sleeping in on his only day off, but his group of friends at Yoe High School knew better: any combination of Billy Newton, Donald Rose, Franklin Stewart, Drayton Mclane and James Posey would come to his house on Sunday morning to take him along to church with them.

Our dad spoke many times through the years with great gratitude for these friends, who he always credited with bringing him to salvation in Jesus Christ. He knew that their insistence on him accompanying them to church had changed his life forever. He was also blessed with a high school science teacher who recognized and nurtured the potential in this serious, intelligent, scrawny young man and encouraged him to pursue his love of chemistry beyond high school and the confines of his small home town.

So, upon graduation, Billy Joe headed off for college, choosing not to stay close to home as did many of his peers but rather setting out for the wind swept high plains of Lubbock and Texas Technological College. He was joined on this adventure by two high school friends.

Bill found a home in the Baptist Student Union at Tech and it was there that he met and fell in love with Martha Milburn. After Bill's graduation, they married at 8:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning in January of 1959 at the First Baptist Church of Lubbock and thereafter honeymooned at Carlsbad Caverns. It was a good start to a loving marriage that spanned 49 years.

Bill soon found employment as a chemist in the lab of the Cosden refinery in Big Spring, thus beginning a life long career in the oil and gas industry. He and Mom raised three daughters there and served the Lord faithfully, always stressing the importance of education (we dared not incur the wrath of Bill by bringing home any grade less than an A) and of living a life dedicated to the Lord.

Dad's career took them from west Texas to the Texas Gulf Coast then to the suburbs of Chicago and back again, but when the time for retirement rolled around, Bill and Martha decided to return to his roots and settled in Salado. This move provided the opportunity for Dad to renew treasured relationships: with his dear sister, Barbara and her husband Mallory, and with his old high school buddies. They spent many happy hours reminiscing and enjoying each others' company over these last years.

As Mom's health declined, Dad took loving care of her until she passed away in 2008.

Dad found love again in a longtime friend, Ann Eubanks, and they married in 2011. Dad and Ann served the Lord together, teaching preschoolers and becoming involved in church planting and building across the country and were active members of their beloved Sunday School class. They spent many, many happy days traveling together and they especially loved spending time with their blended family. Dad brought five grandsons into their marriage while Ann contributed seven granddaughters and they delighted in attending sporting events, graduations, birthday parties and any and all other occasions.

Ann encouraged Dad to accomplish all of his "one day I'd like to ..." dreams and Dad became a quiet and steadfast source of support for Ann. As Dad's health began to deteriorate, Ann was an ever present and loving caregiver; through countless doctors' appointments, ER visits and hospital stays, she never wavered and looked after him with a rare and strong devotion. The kind words and deeds of Ann's children and granddaughters and their families toward Dad were constant and are so deeply cherished.

Dad was a gentle man, generous, kind, loving, and he would want more than anything for you to know the Lord as he did. He is survived by his wife, Ann, and his three daughters and their families: Debbie and Randall Rice; Donna and Heath Hodge, Jerry and Elliott Hodge, Jordan and Alicia Hodge and Jacob and Mady Hodge; Danna and Leo Gallegos, Zack and Marilyn Gallegos and Matt and Peyton Gallegos and by 11 great grandchildren.

He also leaves behind his treasured sister and brother-in-law, Barbara and Mallory Miller.

Bill is also survived by his stepchildren and their families: Roz and Kent Simmons, Kady and Nick Spears, Keely and Austin Boutwell, Carly and Logan Babiel and Clair and Mike McMorrow; Todd Eubanks, Lauren and David LaNeave, Audrey and Nathan Wagner and Sarah and Lauren Eubanks and by 8 great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his stepson and wife, Brent and Lisa Eubanks.

We will celebrate his good, long life on Saturday, September 27, with a visitation at 10:30 a.m. and a service to follow at 11:00 a.m. at First Baptist Church, Temple.