Obituary of Billy Gene Sipes

Funeral services for Billy Gene Sipes Sr, 72, of Big Spring, TX and formerly of Lovington, NM will be held on Saturday, August 17, 2019 at 1:00 pm at Kirby-Smith-Rogers Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow at Lovington Cemetery. Billy was born on May 29, 1947 in Roswell, NM to B.W. and Oneida (Talley) Sipes and passed away in Big Spring, TX on August 10, 2019. He spent several years as a child growing up in New Mexico and Texas. He joined the US Navy when he was seventeen and served as a Hospital Corpsman. After his service, he settled in Lovington where he began raising a family and working in the oilfields during that period. He then went to work with the City of Lovington as a policeman and then moved to Tucumcari, NM where he again worked in the police department and added the job of Deputy Medical Investigator for the State of NM. He was contacted by Lovington Chief of Police and asked to return to a job as policeman and was later promoted to Detective. He also kept his job of Deputy Medical Investigator. After several years, always looking for opportunity to make things better for his family, he went to work for the Town of Clayton as Police Chief with increased pay. After a period of time he resigned and joined the oil field work force drilling for CO2 gas and worked in the Permian Basin, Texas panhandle and Oklahoma area. He also worked in the Congo of Africa in the oilfields doing a multiple of jobs. After many moves and different companies worked for, he was injured in an industrial accident when the crew encountered the poisonous gas, Hydrogen Sulfide. This changed his life forever. Unable to work, he medically retired and tried to spend more time with his children. Billy was a member of numerous organizations DAV, AM. Legion, Moose Lodge, Elks Lodge, but most important to Billy was being a Christian and sharing his faith. He always said, " Be ready to meet God and don't wait". He was a versatile man with many talents and skills, singing being one of them. He loved music, especially country music. He was a mover and go-getter and loved his family and friends. He will be greatly missed. Preceding him in death were his parents; one brother: Bedford Sipes and his nephew, Mark Sipes. Surviving him: his companion, Betty VanDee; one son: Billy Sipes Jr. of Longview, TX; four daughters: Diane and Tommy Carter, Dana and Ray Nix, both of Big Spring, TX; Monica Sipes of Diana, TX and Stephanie and Matt Ellis of Longview, TX; one sister: Jacqueline Sipes of NM; nine grandchildren: Karissa (Torch) Daniels, Joshua Daniels, Amanda (Dan) Clark, Courtney Blair & fiancée Ricky, Olivia, Kaylee , Graycen, and Gavin, all Sipes and Sutton Ellis; also seven great-grandchildren: NaKaye, Treysen, Makaela, Ayden, Grant, Khloe and Paxton. Visitation will be held on Friday, August 16, 2019 from 4:00-6:00 pm at the funeral home.