Funeral services for Billy Jewel Dickerson, 90, of Purcell will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, February 19, 2021 at the Wilson-Little Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will be at Hillside Cemetery in Purcell under the direction of the Wilson-Little Funeral Home in Purcell.
The service will be livestreamed on the website www.wilsonlittle.com and the Facebook page, Wilson Little.
Mr. Dickerson passed away Friday, February 12, 2021.
Bill was born September 10, 1930 in Dothan, Alabama, the first of four children of Ulyses Dickerson and Lula Bell (Glass) Guy. Bill was raised in Round Lake, Fla., where he attended school.
By age 16, Bill left school and answered the call to serve his country, joining the United States Army and serving his country proudly, before an injury changed his life. Back home now, Bill worked various jobs including being a radio host and hotel manager. He even worked for Howard Hughes for a brief time. He loved his job in the hotel industry and the travel opportunities it provided him.
By chance, while working in Oklahoma City, he met a young lady from Wanette named Sue Caskey. They fast became friends and eventually more, and on January 15, 1965, Bill married Sue in Cape Coral, Fla. They settled in Purcell in 1977 where together they raised their only son, David.
Bill was fun loving and enjoyed the best of everyday, often telling his grandkids, he would “live to be a 100.” He played golf any chance he could, and competed in many amputee tournaments. Bill remained active in his community, as a member of the Oklahoma Hotel and Motel Association and the Masonic Lodge of Georgia.
He enjoyed fishing and day trips to the casino where he would bet the ponies for hours. He loved eating raw oysters. For more than 20 years, Bill and Sue spent months at a time in Florida to visit family and run numerous hotels.
His greatest joy was his family and he was never happier than the day he became a PePa. He was their biggest fan, and rarely missed a game or activity. He loved spending time with his grands and great-grands, and spent countless hours poolside with them. He was a great cook and will forever be remembered for recently making three separate pot roasts and banana puddings for each grandchild. He enjoyed spending time with his handyman brother-in-law Leon Caskey, and was always ready to help someone.
Bill was thoughtful, and called his girls every night at 10:30 on the dot, for a “bed check Charlie” just so he would know they were alright. He was a wonderful husband, father, PePa, brother, uncle and friend. He will be dearly missed!
He was preceded in death by his wife, Sue Dickerson; his sons, Billy and David Dickerson; his parents, Ulyses Dickerson and Lula Bell Guy and siblings, Frances and Wylie Dickerson.
Billy leaves behind his daughters, Oleta Wetherell, Anna Boman and Diane Dickerson of Purcell and Neovoh Dickerson of Cincinnati, Ohio; sister, Liz Burns of Alabama; 20 grandchildren; 68 great-grandchildren; seven great-great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews and a host of other family and friends.
Online condolences may be made at wilsonlittle.com.
