Bill C. Covey

Billy Charles Covey was born in a house in Amarillo, Texas on July 21, 1935. He graduated from Watson High School in Desha County, Arkansas in 1952. After school he enlisted and served in the US Army until 1974, retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer 2. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam in 1964 and 1969, both times as one of a small contingent of American advisors to a South Vietnamese army unit.  He was awarded the Bronze Star. Other postings were in the UK, Germany, Panama, Oklahoma, and Kentucky. While serving in the army, he and Angela, his wife of 67 years, raised three children – Neil, Deborah, and Mark. Towards the end of his time in the Army, twins – Kellie and Kevin – were born in 1973. 

He was fluent in Spanish, courtesy of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. This skill served him well in Panama, where, as a thirty-second degree Mason in the Scottish Rite and Shriner, he was a member of the clown unit in 1967-68. In fact he was Chief Clown. He loved to make clown animals at parties, picnics, and other events. He was very proud of the money they raised and the efforts they made to get stricken children from Panama and all over Central America to Shriner Hospitals for care. Later when he was in Vietnam, in less combative times, Bilco would make occasional appearances.

He settled in Fort Smith, Arkansas, near Fort Chaffee, where he once had been posted. After retiring he had several jobs mostly focusing on logistics/supply, his MOS in the Army. For a time he also owned two businesses in Fort Smith, an Army surplus store and Hillside grocery. His employment also saw him working in Saudi Arabia and Iraq, the latter in situations that were often quite dangerous. He also parlayed the hundreds of hours of college credit he had earned through various Army correspondence programs into a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, an achievement that required some time away from family as he traveled between Fort Smith and Tahlequah after work to earn the hours he had to make up.  He was the first member of his family to achieve this level of education. Much to Angela’s dismay, he spent some of his post-Army-retirement doing things like flying a gyrocopter. Together they both mourned the loss of their youngest, Kevin, in 1995.

After deciding he was well and truly retired, he and Angela returned to Fort Smith, where he enjoyed collecting music and working on his computer on which he scanned and organized a vast collection of photographs of both his and Angela’s families, some dating back to the turn of the century.

On 8 January 2025, he passed away in Fort Smith. He will be missed by Angela and his four surviving children and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Public viewing will be available at Edwards Funeral Home, Monday, January 13, from 12:00pm to 4:00pm and Tuesday, January 14, from 9:00am to 4:00pm.

Graveside service with Military Honors will be held Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 10:00am at Fort Smith National Cemetery, 522 Garland Avenue, Fort Smith, AR 72901.