Billy Gene Lassiter

Billy Gene Lassiter was born in Four Oaks, NC, the second of 3 sons, to Blanche and Wade Lassiter. He spent his childhood working on tobacco, cotton and hog farms. He learned to hunt and fish at an early age out of necessity to help put food on the table. He had a natural talent for figuring out how things work and repairing anything mechanical. He attended school at Four Oaks High School, where he also drove the school bus for a few years prior to graduating in 1958. Following high school, he held several different jobs including handy-man, HVAC installation and repair, plumbing, as well as serving as a Raleigh Police Officer for 6 years.

When his daughter was born, during his first marriage, he left the police force and got a job at the botany research facility, the Phytotron, at NCSU. He spent the next 27 years there devising, adapting and maintaining environmental control chambers as needed for each research project. When not at NCSU or working in his large vegetable garden, he was repairing or rebuilding cars. He started with his first car as a teenager (I believe it was a 1950 Ford) and has restored countless others over the years including a Model T Ford, a 1971 Mercury Cougar convertible (that he bought and sold from the same man on 6 separate occasions over several decades) and his beloved 1972 Corvette Stingray convertible.

He married Mary Long in 1997 and acquired 5 step- sons in the process. He embraced them as his own and enjoyed helping them with different projects. He also became a grandfather, Papa Bill, to their 12 children and great-grandfather to three more. He was also Papa Billy to his daughter’s only child.

Throughout his life, he earned a reputation for helping whomever he could whenever he could. Whether it was fixing something broken for anyone who asked, taking a full bucket of fresh-caught flounder to a struggling neighbor family, checking in with elderly relatives just to see if they needed help with anything, teaching his kids how to build or repair things, or donating his time and skills to a wild animal rescue, he was always happy to help. He made many life-long friends due to his loyalty and generosity of spirit.

He was incredibly intelligent, reserved, introverted, stubborn, gruff and funny. He loved physics and word puzzles, cars and guns, and had a soft spot for dogs and cats. He laughed at his own jokes, made delicious coconut cakes and the best collards in the south. He once came in third in a Kenny Rogers look-a-like contest. And he took pride in being a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend.

A gathering of family and friends will be held for Bill on Sunday, September 7, 2025 from 2:00-3:00pm at McLaurin Funeral Home. Online condolences may be made to the family at: www.mclaurinatpinecrest.com. The family requests, in lieu of flowers, please send donations to: www.CarolinaTigerRescue.org

He was preceded in death by his parents and both of his brothers, Tony and Jerry. He is survived by his wife Mary, daughter Angela, sons Luke, John, Nick, Hank and Micah, as well as his 13 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.