Billy Brown Stipe's Obituary
Billy Brown Stipe, age 98, entered his heavenly home on August 12, 2025. He was born in Tifton, GA, the youngest of three boys, to Roy and Lillian Stipe. After he graduated from high school, he briefly attended ABAC and then joined the navy in 1945. He served at the end of WWII. When the war was over, he attended the University of Georgia where he earned his bachelor’s degree in art.
He got a job in Atlanta working as a commercial artist, a job he kept until he retired. He designed anything you could imagine including letter heads, menus and billboards. This was before the age of computers, so he did everything with pens, ink, and rulers. He also created beautiful paintings that decorated his home and several that he gifted to his daughters.
He met his future wife, Sara, while they were both walking to the bus stop. They were happily married for 65 years.
Bill deeply loved his family. Not only was he a loving husband to his wife, but he was a wonderful father to his three daughters. He loved spending time with them and taught them many useful things like riding a bicycle and later, driving a car, how to play putt-putt, ping pong, and even how to put a worm on a fishing hook! He played board games with them, attended their choral and band concerts, dance programs and piano recitals.
As a faithful Christian, Bill loved the Lord Jesus with all of his heart. He served faithfully as a deacon and Sunday School teacher for many years, first at West End Baptist Church in Atlanta, and then at First Baptist Church of Mableton, GA. He cared for people and always gave money to feed the poor or help with mission projects. He loved to share with others about the love of Jesus. Even his last years in assisted living, he gave out dozens and dozens of “Eternal Life” tracts.
In addition to his parents, Bill is preceded in death by his loving wife Sara Thruston Stipe, his two brothers, Roy and Kenneth Stipe, and his son-in-law, Thomas Voyles.
He is survived by his daughters, Julie Echols (Steve), Diane McClanahan (Bill), and Janet Voyles; his grandchildren, Jeremy Echols (Grace), Joy Dixon (Thomas), Christopher McClanahan (Suelan), Erin Perkins (Royce), Lindsay Childers (Travis), and Brian Voyles (Tayler); and ten great grandchildren, Aria, Carter, Eli, Cole, Emma, Levi, Avery, Callie, James, and Kai.
Funeral Services will be held Sunday 1:00 PM at Davis-Struempf Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Steve Echols and Rev. Bill McClanahan officiating. Interment will follow at Cheatham Hill Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will receive friends for visitation prior to the service Sunday from 11:30 AM-1:00 PM at the funeral home.
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