Billy Michael Whitt Memorial Fund

Billy Whitt was a great man.

Unfortunately his positive impact on so many people only becomes so clear to me after his untimely passing on May 31st, 2023. With a heavy heart I reflect just a tiny snippet of what he has meant to me. Over the past few days since his passing, stories of his kindness and generosity have just now come to my attention in speaking with some of those who loved him and enjoyed his return love.

His impact on me started when he was 7 years old. At that time he was my little buddy who loved to play video games way later into the night than any little kid should have. On more than a few occasions his dad or mom told us to turn off the games and that I had to go back to my apartment. That's correct, I was 20 years old and hanging out with Billy for hours at a time. He would always say "Wanna verse me at Madden?" as soon as I showed up at the door, sometimes before I was able to tell his sister hi. Most of the time I intended to hang out with her, but some days that turned into 8 hours of playstation playing Crash Bandicoot, Ratchet & Clank, or Madden 99. Even at this age Billy had a joy and spirit about him that set him apart. He was always happy, winning or losing. He was the little brother that I never had. By the time he was 10 he was beating me at most every game we played. It is impossible to forget the joy he had each time I incorrectly spelled encylopedia and he corrected me (is it encyclopaedia?)

Billy Whitt was a sweet kid.

Billy was fiercly loyal to his family - if Shannon was playing a softball game, Billy was there cheering for her. At her wedding there was not a person that appeared as genuinely happy to see his little sister getting married, in taking photos of that day, that was one of the most striking memories of Billy and the entire wedding.

Although Billy was intelligent in many ways, he never failed to mention how he looked up to his sisters. In looking through thousands of photos of Billy, there are hundreds of Billy with his sisters. In 9 out of 10 he is draping his massive arms around them both like a big bear that no one would be able to pry them away from.

Billy Whitt was the greatest brother.

At Cabell Midland High School he excelled most when he was involved in stage crew and was exceptionally intelligent with math/numbers. He may have excelled at procrastination in other classes, but that is not important in his story. Even during a time when most adolescents focus on themselves almost exclusively, Billy was always working on the stage crew voluntarily. His teacher (whose name unfortunately escapes me) took a special liking to Billy and steered him toward success.

Billy was able to become friends with so many friends during this period of his life.

Billy Whitt was a kind teenager.

Billy always spoke highly of those he loved - thankfully for me, I was on his loved list. His mother jokingly?? insists to this day that if it hadn't been for how much Billy loved me, I would likely have never married into the family. My reciprocal love for Billy was only icing on the cake to get to call him my actual little brother on my wedding day. His love for his sister Amy was so apparent every time I was around him. He adored her and never missed an opportunity to give her a back rub with his enormously strong hands. His hugs that he gave his sisters each and every time he saw them will be impossible to replace, but the memory will remain.

He always loved to tell a story with his family at any function, his Uncle Grey seemingly going toe to toe on who could tell the most interesting stories. His brother-in-law Justin reflects fondly how Billy was always willing to help out at a moment's notice - for anyone. His cousin Jamie was like an older brother to him. The list stretches on and on of his generous acts - helping his grandmother, cleaning the guns for his grandfather, tearing down a deck for a co-worker, taking in animals that needed a home...only those whom benefited from his kindness know these things fully as he never mentioned any of it, never asked for any return favors or rewards. Anyone who sat down with Billy will tell that he always knew everything about everyone that was close to him. He was like my personal facebook feed on everyone that he loved. He had a special love for many of his cousins as well, some of which were some of his best friends.

Billy was a lover of his family, extended and close.

Billy's loyalty and love for his family came through in everything he did, outwardly exemplified by his wardrobe of 7 Milton Farmhouse T-shirts all hung beside his handful of rarely worn dress clothes. But not only did Billy wear the shirt, he truly did everything he could for every member of his family. Although Billy moved into his own house around 2019, he spent far more time on Little Fudge Creek Road visiting his mom and dad than he did in his own place. He will be irreplaceable to both his mother and father; a friend, a hunting buddy, a strong shoulder, a dinner companion, a long conversation until after midnight, and so much more.

Billy Whitt was the best son.

Nephews and his niece were his pride and joy - Billy always knew everything that was going on with all of these special people in his life. He was proud of them all and this was obvious when looking at his fridge pictures including a hand drawn portait of Billy and photos of every one of the nephews and niece. His wearing of rainbow loom bands that were made for him by his nephews was seemingly well-timed for their enjoyment, but in actuality, was part of his daily attire. This is yet another example of his fierce affection and pride in those he loved.

Billy was an exceptional uncle.

To say that he was the best phlebotomist at his workplace is something that I cannot prove, only assume to be the case based on stories told. After his death I was told of him being honored at work in his department (never mentioned, of course, by Billy himself). To be told by one of my bosses personally that they met my brother-in-law and that he was such a nice person was heartwarming. It was also further evidence that Billy was the go to person for so many. His fierce loyalty to his family was also on full display once again in that the story even made its way back to me. Billy loved to tell stories about his work and sometimes they were very silly, but he took his ability to "stick anything with a pulse" more serious than he took himself. His close friends mention that the toughest blood draws to be made, rather it be a crying neonate or cancer suffering elderly person, typically went straight to Billy's workstation. My last bit of evidence suggesting that Billy was the absolute best at his job became apparent when visiting a bank to establish an account for the scholarship that his family wishes to start in his honor. Two separate employees of varying ages mentioned within a five minute period gave their condolences followed by dismay that he would not be the person to draw their labs the next time.

Billy Whitt was a great co-worker.

Billy had so many friends that I cannot start to mention what they meant to him and I would never do this justice writing about them. Some he played darts with, some he aspired to join on the police force some day. It is only fair to say that he treated his friends as if they were members of his family. In discussions with a best friend after his passing the recurring phrase shared with tears was "Billy would have done the same for me," and it was agreed upon that Billy would have done the same for any of his friends.

Billy Whitt was an amazing friend.

In writing this dedication to my dear brother-in-law Billy I am certain that there are numerous family members and friends that he would have gone on and on about. For this I am sorry, because I would give anything to hear him brag about more and more people that he loved just one more time and then maybe I could have written a more complete account of who he was as a man.

Billy's big heart was on full display for anyone that was fortunate enough to have been around him. It's a tragedy that his heart gave out on him when he had so much more love to give. We will forever miss his sarcastic humor, his wit, his helping hand, and the love he so freely shared. Please join us in passing on the love by contributing to a scholarship fund in Billy's name, which will be used to create an endowment in Billy's honor.