Obituary of Billy Van Drewry

Funeral services for Billy "Bill" Drewry, 85, of Lovington, NM will be held on Friday, October 30, 2020 at 1:30 pm at Hillcrest Baptist Church with Ricky Hoover and Chad Wease officiating. Burial will follow at Lovington Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Kirby-Ratliff Funeral Home. Bill was born on April 19, 1935 in Witts Springs, Arkansas to Ira and Mae (Johnson) Drewry and passed from this life to be with his Lord and Savior on October 25, 2020 in Odessa, TX. He lived most of his childhood in Levelland, TX and from there joined the Navy in 1953 serving until April 1956, then joined the NM National Guard for sixteen years serving his country through the military. On November 22, 1956 he married Joyce Fisher and they have shared 63 years of life and love together. Bill accepted Jesus as his Savior in August of 1956 at Northside Baptist Church in Lovington and when the church disbanded in 1983, he and Joyce joined Hillcrest Baptist Church, where he served the Lord until his death. He was ordained a deacon at Northside Baptist and also served as a deacon at Hillcrest Baptist Church. Bill came to Lovington in 1956, working as a roughneck for Mobil Oil and when Mobil shut down drilling, he went to work for the City of Lovington. He was employed with the city for forty years, retiring in 1998. After retirement he drove an activity bus for Lovington Transportation for eighteen years. He loved the Lovington students and it has been said that was his calling, as he touched many student's lives. He was known to the students he drove as "Papa Bill". Preceding him in death were his parents; three brothers: Dale, Donald, and George Drewry; two sisters: Bonnie Massey and June Waldon and one son-in-law: David W. Palmer. Surviving him is his wife, Joyce of the home; two daughters: Vickie and husband Ricky Hoover and Donna Palmer Read and husband Allen Read; A special nephew: Randy and wife Janet Fisher, all of Lovington; five grandchildren: Billy and wife, Sarah Hoover of Roswell, NM; Kim and husband Andrew Bartrum of Lovington; Brady and wife Heather Palmer of Fayetteville, NC; Drew Palmer of Portales and Garron Palmer of Lovington. Bonus grandchildren: Scott and Carey Fisher of Dallas, TX, Jennifer and Erik Hernandez of Lovington, Brandon and Stephanie Smith of Tulsa, OK, Whitney and Travis Hernandez of Lovington and Karlye Smith of Lovington; step-granddaughters: Shawnna and Ritchy Richards of Hobbs, NM and Suzanne and Josh Franco of Lubbock and Shelby and Cole Manry of Hobbs. Also 22 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren; One brother: Fay and wife Gay Drewry of Rogers, AR; two sister-in-laws: Betty Drewry of Alpine, TX and Tommye Drewry of Sulfur Springs, TX and numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and also, a loving church family and many friends. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hillcrest Christian Academy, 322 West Ave I, Lovington, NM 88260 or to Gideon Bibles. Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 29, 2020 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm at the funeral home, 1106 North Main. Family requests that you please wear Masks for all the services. Condolences may be sent to www.kirbysmithrogers.com