William Bill Gene Ayres

Born September 21, 1936 in Cirtsville, West Virginia, he was the son of the late William White Ayres and Gladys Gilliam Ayres. His grandparents were the late William (WG) Ayres and Nettie White Ayres, and Sidney Morris Gillam and Minnie Jane Williams Gilliam.

William was affectionately known as Bill or Billy to his friends, family and coworkers. He enjoyed golfing and bowling on the VA Center League. He was an avid WV Mountaineer fan and his favorite baseball team was the Cincinnati Reds. He was a 1954 graduate of Pax High School, where he was valedictorian of his class. After graduation, he enlisted in the US Air Force, where he served from 1954-1958 as a photo analyst. The family remembers him being stationed in Little Rock, Arkansas and Africa.

After his enlistment, he returned to Pax and enrolled in Beckley College where he earned a degree in Business Administration. He then went to Washington, DC where he worked for the US Coast Guard. Bill later returned to West Virginia where he started a career of over 35 years at the Beckley VA Medical Center in the Administration Office.

In addition to his grandparents and parents, preceding him in death is his lifelong partner, Sharon Kay Ayres (June 2011); sister, Linda Gaye Ayres Dike (April 1995); brother, Thomas “Greg” Ayres (May 2014).

Those left to cherish his memory is his son, Barry G. Ayres (NeSan); granddaughter, Jordan Kaye Ayres of Florida; stepdaughter, Darlene Toney of Bradley, West Virginia; stepson, Tim Toney of West Virginia; brother, Ronnie Allan Ayres, Sr. of Tennessee; sisters, Sherry Ayers-Arthur and husband Greg of Oak Hill, West Virginia and Treva Ayres-Rider of Beckley; sister-in-law, Mary Goode-Ayres of Tennessee; four step grandchildren and seven great-step-grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews and several close friends.

Friends may gather with the family at Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Thursday, January 7, 2016 from 12-1pm.

Services will be at the funeral home, Thursday, January 7, 2016 at 1pm with Rev. Richard Allen officiating. Burial will follow at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens with family and friends to serve as pallbearers.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.blueridgefuneralhome.com.

Blue Ridge Funeral Home, 5251 Robert C. Byrd Drive, has the honor of serving the Ayres family.