Billy Stringfellow

Billy carried more love than most. You knew it in 1944 when he cajoled his mother to walk to Buntyn Station, so they could together ride to the Downtown Memphis Navy recruit depot. The date of his 17th birthday was the earliest she could co-sign his enlistment papers. You knew it when he chose submarines. The Silent Service was volunteer, and needed help battling for the Sea of Japan. You knew it when he told of secret agents, exotic weapons, and stashing Heath bars under racks of magic torpedoes. You knew it when he never thought there would be another war, and volunteered for The Wild Aces of VMF-124, the reserve Marine Squadron headquartered in Millington. Staff Sergeant Stringfellow never complained about the activation for Korea, although perhaps he under-appreciated when the "Needs Of The Corps" changed his specialty from fighter plane electrician to infantry weapons armorer and his berthing from an aircraft carrier to a dirt fighting hole. You knew it when the nominations went up for prayer at family dinner and Billy was always elected. His prayers were long and genuine and tearful. He even once admitted to praying for Obama, saying the President needed it more than anybody.

You knew it when the neighborhood beat a path to his garage machine shop, where he never turned anyone away, and the lathes, welders, and milling machines rattled into the night. You knew it when he built choppers for the boys, and kitchen cabinets for Mary, and a camper for us all. You knew it with his many inventions, mostly ideas that he gave away. He built the first five molds for Strike-King Lures. You knew it watching his eyes sparkle, standing at the lathe curling white hot shavings from the hard contour of a heat-treated rifle barrel. You knew it from his love for hobbies, which he instilled in the family: photography, gunsmithing, woodworking, ham radio, fishing, hunting, gem cutting, lapidary, and high-power rifle shooting. He sneaked Mary away for clandestine ballroom dance lessons. You knew it when he always worked a side job - and studied nights at State Tech - so two weeks a year he could stand alongside his boys on the jetties at St. Andrews State Park in Panama City, and listen to Bonita strip a hundred yards of monofilament line through the shrieking drag of a spinning rod. You didn't know it; yet, when he lied about the pain for years, while Mary was in her two-decade fight with lymphoma. He wanted all the love, medicine, money, and prayers flowing to her. He disguised it as feeling bad, like an old man would, but no big deal, I'll be OK.

After Mary died, a week later he grudgingly admitted to the aches. Billy had been more worried of the doctors, knowing all along the situation. He fooled us all, but not the tumors. He had accomplished his mission and kept them both at home; in the house they built from scratch like only a machinist could. Staff Sergeant Stringfellow had remained at his post until properly relieved. Billy is survived by his sons Mark Stringfellow (Sherry) of Nashville, and Dan Stringfellow (Maria) of Memphis; grandchildren Melissa Plank (Mitch), and Alison Stringfellow of Nashville; Samuel, Alex (Conlee), and Sarah Stringfellow, of Memphis; his brothers Jim, of Wynn, Arkansas, and John of Searcy, Arkansas. He was preceded in death by his wife Mary Stringfellow; parents Sam Stringfellow and Mattie Cozart Stringfellow; and sisters Catherine, May Evelyn, Ruth, and Polly. The family will receive friends on Saturday, July 12 at 1 PM until service time of 2 pm at Memphis Funeral Home, 5599 Poplar Avenue. Burial will follow in Memphis Memory Gardens.