DATE: Thursday, November 13, 1997           TAG: 9711130406

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B9   EDITION: FINAL 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   51 lines

WILLIAM W. TILLERY III

The life of William W. ``Billy'' Tillery III, of the 200 block of Clearfield Ave., was cut short and he was taken away from us in a senseless act Tuesday, Nov. 11, 1997.

He was a devoted family man and a friend to many people. He had a heart of gold and was always there for his family. He would go out of his way to help anyone he could. He was predeceased by his father, William W. Tillery Jr. who had asked Billy to take care of the rest of the family, which he did his very best to do.

He will be sadly missed by his family, his mother, Virginia Tillery; two sisters, Janice Wenger and Belinda Tillery of Virginia Beach; two nephews, Brian Wenger of Virginia Beach, David Wenger who is stationed in Korea. He is also survived by his grandmother, Pauline Leary who resides in a Windsor, N.C., nursing home, where Billy would go once or twice a week and bring a lot of smiles and laughter to the residents with his playful manner. He would pass out stuffed animals and other items to the residents, some of whom never had visitors. He would take them for rides in their wheelchairs or just visit door-to-door. He'd take pictures with the residents and hang them on their walls. He loved older people and will surely be missed by all those lives he touched.

He is also survived by many aunts, uncles and cousins whom he loved dearly especially one in particular, Vivian Todd or ``Peewee' as he called her. He had nicknames for all his special friends.

He also will be greatly missed by the many friends he had made during his 42 years. They all enjoyed a special kind of friendship; they all helped each other and stood by each other during the good times and the bad. They all have their own unique stories to tell about Billy. He touched their lives in many ways. Billy appreciated their friendship more than they will ever know. They stuck by Billy through thick and thin. Anytime, Billy needed help with something they were there. His mom told Billy they needed a ramp built to get his dad up and down in the wheelchair; the next day the ramp was there, thanks to his friends. The same thing with the front porch, the garage addition, the handicap room addition plus scores of other projects through the years.

Billy loved to ride his Harley-Davidson especially for the charity runs. It made him happy to do these things for the children. Billy was a very free-hearted and caring person. He loved to be with and help his family and friends. It is such a tragedy that he was taken from us like this. Billy was one of a kind and he will be sadly missed. The family will never ever be the same without him.

A funeral will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday in Woodlawn Funeral Home and Crematory by Pastor Randall Childress of Kempsville Church of Christ. Burial will be in Woodlawn Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. KEYWORDS: DEATH OBITUARY

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