Billy George Martin

Billy's life began in Clarksville, Texas on November 1, 1940. He was the eighth of nine children born to Charles Culberson Martin & Bessie English Martin. Billy's older siblings were James, Nealy, Margaret, Lewis, Eugene, Bobbie, and Herbert. As a youth, he spent many happy days roaming the countryside with his kid brother, Archie, his cousins, and his friends. He was raised in a Christian home, and accepted Christ at an early age. Bill was educated in the Clarksville public school system. He described his childhood self as "shy." During his senior year of high school, Billy overcame his shyness, and provided students with comedic entertainment on a daily basis as he rode the school bus with them.

In 1959, Billy relocated to Bakersfield, California, where he attended barber's college. After graduation, he worked as both a barber and a barber instructor. For a short while, Billy worked in insurance and real estate sales. For seven years, Bill was employed by the City of Bakersfield as a police officer, and attained the position of senior patrolman. After his retirement from the police department, Billy became the Director of Safety & Security at San Joaquin Hospital.

Billy married Loretta Williams in 1963. This union is best described as "two hearts that beat as one". Billy believed a wife was a gift from God, and that she should be treated as such. To this union, their one child, Lia Raeshawn, was born. Billy adored his "Yicka" (nickname for his daughter), and reminded her that she was his "favorite chap" regularly.

Billy was a man of many talents. He had a phenomenal memory, was a gifted craftsman, and a gourmet cook. He had a great singing voice, and used it to serenade friends and loved ones with country & western songs. He was also quite the jokester with a natural ability to make friends. Billy also had a tendency to assign nicknames to friends and loved ones. Once assigned a nickname, one was usually stuck with it for life.

Most of all, Billy had a servant's heart. In March 2003, Billy thwarted an attack against a young woman that a perpetrator was about to commit in a secluded part of the Panorama Bluffs area of Bakersfield. For this act of heroism, Billy received commendations from the Bakersfield Police Department, the mayor, and Channel 23. Additionally, the Bakersfield Californian ran a front page news story in its March 12, 2003 edition.

What received no publicity, however, were the simple acts of kindness Billy performed routinely. Throughout his adult life, Billy maintained his barber's license. He understood how much value men place on receiving a good shave and a haircut . When Billy learned that people he knew were hospitalized for an extended period of time, or were too ill to leave home, he would go to the home or hospital room to attend to their shaving and haircutting needs. Many times, grateful loved ones would offer Billy some form of compensation. He always refused. This was Bill's ministry.

All too soon for us, Billy George Martin departed this world on June 13, 2016. Left to cherish the memory of this husband, father, grandfather, uncle, hero, and friend are his wife, Loretta, daughter, Lia ("Shawn"), son-in-law, Michael, grandchildren, Matthew & Alyssa, brother, Archie, brothers-in-law, Raymond and Oliver, sisters-in-law, Marion, Donnie, Arnetta, Barbara, Gloria, Edith, and Joyce, along with many nieces, nephews, and friends.

Special thanks to Dr. Bradley K. Joseph, for daily calls to the San Joaquin ICU nurses station, and to Ruben & Betty Solis, Archie Scott, and nephews Billy D. & Marvin for the daily bedside vigils.