A Celebration of Life for Billie Arnold (Billy) Graham, 89, will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, March 13, 2021, at Hill Crest Funeral Home, 601 Highway 80 East, Haughton, LA 71037. Interment will follow at Hill Crest Cemetery. Prior to the funeral service, a visitation will be held from 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Billie Arnold (Billy) Graham was born on October 12, 1931, to James Hollis Graham and Lillie Mae Wood Graham in Ruston, Louisiana.
He proudly joined the Air Force in 1950 and served his country in Korea and stateside until 1954 in the 46th Communications Squadron as a teletype mechanic. He earned commendations including the United Nations Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, ROK Presidential Unit Citation, National Defense Service Medal and Good Conduct Medal.
After leaving the military, he explored different career opportunities until 1966 when he joined the Federal Electric Corporation as a teletype mechanic in Civil Service. He worked on Naval support ships including the USNS Vanguard and USNS Mercury during the Apollo 8, 10 and 11 missions. He was manning the communication console, when Neil Armstrong said, “One small step for man, One giant leap for mankind”. He was later based on Canton Island, a US territory, and then based at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Lompoc, California, until his retirement in 1995.
He was a member of the American Legion and a Freemason. Through all his adventures and misadventures, the one steadfast thing for him was his faith in God and Jesus Christ.
He was predeceased by his wife Betty May Jones Graham; two brothers, Lamar (Pete) Graham and Hollis Graham; six sisters, Annie Mae Turner, Fannie Clyde Barham, Thelma Allen, Eugenia Rea, Dorene Vines, and Virginia Eubanks. He was also predeceased by his first wife and mother of his four children, Peggy Reeves Graham and his long-time friend and companion, Joyce Kostyn.
Left to cherish his memory are one sister, Betty Jo Barham (Clyde) and one sister-in-law, Ida Grey Graham, one son, Billy G. Graham; three daughters, Rhonda Staiger (Larry), Phyllis Hale (Bruce), and Kayla McDonald. Grandchildren include Jessica Graham Taylor, Hunter Hale, Spencer and Madison McDonald, and Kimberly Staiger along with five great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
Pallbearers will be Jaden Duchsherer, Josh Taylor, Mason Taylor, Ty Storms, James Jenkins and Hunter Jenkins.
Due to COVID-19, the family requests that attendees please wear a mask and practice social distancing, when possible.
