William Lewis Motley Jr.

He was the son of the late William Lewis and Virginia Fulghum Motley. He was proud to be the grandson of grandparents Willie Bowie and Essie Gravatt Motley and James Barden and Virginia Ridout Fulghum. He is also predeceased by his brother Donald Lee Motley and his wife Marlene, and nephew Donald Lee Motley, Jr. and great-nephew Joshua Lee Motley.

He is survived by his niece Donna Motley Brown; great-nieces Abbey Wooten (David) and Holly Cascell (Joey); great-nephew Christopher Brown (Alaina); several dear cousins and hundreds of friends throughout the world; and his godchild Mary Edith Charity (J.C) and family. Special thanks to cousins Janet and John Tyler for their faithful watch care.

Billy was a 1959 graduate of John Marshall High School. He retired in 2008 from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation with 38 years of state service. Prior to his state employment, he worked 9 years with Estes Express Lines.

A service of gratitude and a celebration of a life well lived, will be held Saturday, November 22, 2025, at Woody Funeral Home, 1020 Huguenot Road Midlothian, VA 23113 at 10:30 am. Following the service on the 22nd, please join us for lunch and favorite Billy stories at Independence Golf Course in the main estate building located at 600 Founder’s Bridge Blvd. Midlothian, VA. A burial will be held at Maury Cemetery 2700 Maury St. Richmond, VA 23224 on Monday, November 24th at 10:30 am.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Fulghum Trust, Central United Methodist Church, 1213 Porter St., Richmond, VA 23224. It was at Central where dear friends, Rosa M. Carter and Lucille and Robert Cole contributed many acts of kindness that led to his life’s well-being, and from Lillian and Brooke Butler. Billy gave his time with grace and compassion for all and shared his friendly manner with his neighbors, relatives, friends, and the strangers who were left with his kind acknowledgments of a friendly “hello.”

From the poet Maya Angelou, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Billy made us all feel like his friend.