William (David) Burkhead went to be with our Lord and Savior on Thursday, May 18, 2017, in his home in Denison, Texas. A follower of Christ, loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Bill left a lasting impression on our hearts.
Bill was born on February 10, 1939, in Memphis, Tennessee, to William and Mable (Pate) Burkhead. After graduating high school in Memphis, Bill spent time in Cape Canaveral, Florida, until the Army drafted him in 1962. He served for two years in Fairbanks, Alaska, and then moved back home to Memphis to begin a career with Victor Business Machinery.
Bill met the love of his life in Memphis and married Phyllis George in their hometown on June 18, 1964. The couple followed Bill’s work to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and then a career change brought them to Denison, Texas, where Bill worked for Texas Instruments and Raytheon from 1979 until his retirement in 2011. Bill and Phyllis would have celebrated 53 years of marriage on June 18, 2017.
Bill was a member and faithful servant of Parkside Baptist Church, where he was honored as Deacon Emeritus and had a passion for children’s ministries such as Vacation Bible School, Awana, and Upward. Bill loved his family and his community of Denison, and is often remembered for cheering on Yellow Jacket football, taking Phyllis on a weekly movie theater date, or simply tinkering around the house.
We remember Bill most, though, for his love of Jesus Christ. A few page turns of his tattered and stained 40-year-old Bible reveal hundreds of faded notes and lessons learned during a man’s trials and triumphs as his primary mission was to honor God and share His grace and love with others.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, William and Mable (Pate) Burkhead; his father- and mother-in-law, Eddie and Zelma George; and his brother-in-law, Glenn George. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis (George) Burkhead; his son and daughter and their spouses, Lynn and Charissa Burkhead and Amy and Brian Parks; his grandchildren, Joel (and Nicole) Parks, Meagan (and Nick) Popescu, Katie Burkhead, Zack Burkhead, and Will Burkhead; and his great-grandchildren, Charlotte and Melanie Parks. He is also survived by his sisters and their spouses, Martha and Jake Armstrong and Betty and Harold Russell; and his sister-in-law, Susie George.
A family night will be held Sunday, May 21, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Bratcher Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held Monday, May 22, at 2:00 p.m. at Parkside Baptist Church, with a graveside service held afterward at Fairview Cemetery.
“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” Psalm 28:7 (KJV)
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