Billy Henry "Bill" Magee

Billy Henry "Bill" Magee

Billy Henry "Bill" Magee was born in Bremond, Texas on July 24, 1932. After a lifetime of fighting the good fight, he went home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and his beloved Ila on May 28, 2025. He peacefully passed over from his earthly home in College Station.

He graduated from Southwest Texas State Teachers College in San Marcos, Texas with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in 1953. It was during his time in college that he met his brideto be, Ila Faye Lee.

After graduation from college, Bill served as a Line Officer in the U. S. Navy, obtaining the rank of full Lieutenant. His time spent in the Navy was aboard the U.S.S. Rockbridge operating in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. While serving in the Navy, he married Ila, the love of his life, in 1955.

After the Navy years, he worked for five years as a Sales Representative for the IBM Corporation in Beaumont, Texas before answering God's call to enter the ministry. While at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas he obtained a Master of Divinity Degree in 1965 and a Doctor of Theology Degree in 1969.

Prior to full time ministry, Bill served as pastor to churches in Atoka, Oklahoma and Dublin, Texas while studying for his doctorate degree. His first full time pastorate was at the First Baptist Church of Seabrook, Texas, where he ministered the word of the Lord for ten years from 1967 to 1977. He moved to College Station, with his family, in July 1977, to be the first pastor of Parkway Baptist Church where he served for eleven years. In May 1988, he transitioned to the Director of Missions of the Creath-Brazos Baptist Association, an association of approximately sixty Southern Baptist churches in a four county area.

After tirelessly serving the Baptist churches of the Brazos Valley for nine years, he retired in August 1997. Shortly after what he thought was retirement, the Lord called him back into service as an intentional interim pastor to churches struggling with internal difficulties. He helped churches in Baytown, Bryan, Temple, Normangee and College Station to rebuild what the enemy had tried to destroy.

After serving in this capacity for thirteen years he finally did retire to live out his golden years with his beloved Ila at 78 years of age. In retirement, Bill and Ila continued to be very active, serving in the local community and in their church home, Living Hope Baptist Church. With a strong belief in civic involvement, Bill was an active member of the Rotary Club of College Station from 1984 until 2020. In 1984, he also began twelve years of service on the Board of Trustees of St. Joseph Regional Health Center. Upon its creation in 1996, he began service on the Board of Trustees of the St. Joseph Health System, serving as chairman of that board for several years. Bill was blessed to serve a total of twenty-five years with St. Joseph's. From 2002 to 2009 he served on the Board of Texas A&M Health Science Center Foundation.

One of Bill's favorite times of service was as the Chairman for the Executive Committee of the Brazos Valley Festival 2002 with Franklin Graham at Reed Arena on the Texas A&M campus. Bill Magee was a humble man who truly walked with God. Two great truths that he would leave us with are that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life and that this life is all about relationships.

Bill is survived by Reagan and Laura Magee, his son and daughter-in-law of Franklin, Texas; Leah and Daniel Villarreal, his daughter and son-in-law of St. Petersburg, Florida; six grandchildren - Mallory (Magee) Ortiz and husband Samuel, Brandon Magee and wife Liz, Caroline Magee, Maria (Magee) Schams and husband Ben, and Susanna (Magee) Strong and husband Eli, and Caleb Oropeza and wife Courtney; three great-granddaughters, Kennedy Magee, Jordan Magee, and Charlotte Schams; two great-grandsons, Luke Magee, and Noah Oropeza. Other survivors include sister, Betty Davidson of Georgetown, Texas; sister, Linda Davis of Needville, Texas; brother-in-law, David Lee of Ingram, Texas and numerous nieces and nephews.

Bill was preceded in death by Ila, his wife of 69 years; his parents Henry Wesley and Taylor Mae (Bates) Magee, sister, Mary Louise Magee and brother-in-law, Alfred Davis.

Visitation with the family will be at Memorial Funeral Chapel College Station on Monday, June 16th from 6 pm - 8 pm. Tuesday, June 17th, at 12:00pm, there will be a service to celebrate Bill's life at Living Hope Baptist Church, in College Station, at 12:00 pm. A private graveside service will be held at the College Station Cemetery on Tuesday.

Memorials may be given to the Hope Pregnancy Center, 205 Brentwood Drive East, College Station, TX 77840 or to the Mission Fund of Living Hope Baptist Church, 4170 SH 6 South, College Station, TX 77845 or to Save Our Streets Ministry, P.O. Box 2866, Bryan, TX 77805.