William Edward Pool, retired painter and life long resident of Agra, passed away at his home on Wednesday, April 1, 2009, at the age of 73 years.

The son of the late Willie Elisha Pool and Lydia Florine Statham Pool, Bill was born on October 22, 1935 in Agra, and was reared and educated in Agra, graduating from Agra High School.

He was a painter by profession until his retirement, having painted all over the state and several states. There were several times when someone needed help and he would be there to donate his skills.

He loved visiting and having coffee at the senior citizens center everyday and hardly ever missed a day going to the Maveric for coffee with everyone. He enjoyed sitting and reading the paper and hanging out with the guys outside the Maveric shooting the breeze.

Billy, “Big Red” was an active member of the Lincoln County CB Club, Cimarron Valley Breakers, Stillwater Breakers and the Payne County CB Club. In the 70s if you ever wanted to talk to “Big Red” you could just turn on your CB to channel 14 and holler for Big Red and he’d come right back to you. He loved the CB, and sometimes he would get his neighbors upset for coming over on their televisions. He would get quite a few phone calls about it. He enjoyed talking to his CB friends all over the United States. He enjoyed going to the National CB Jamboree “ONJAI”, in Oklahoma City with all his CB buddies. He was also a member of the Possum Scoopers in Lincoln County that he and his friend Cajun made up.

Billy Pool, a long-time resident of Agra, Oklahoma was known by many as the gas station guy and the guy with the Goldwing. Bill was a member of the Goldwing Road Riders Association Club of Cushing. He loved the monthly meetings and many times won the 50/50 jackpot. When possible he also attended other club meetings, just to get the miles on his bike. He was fortunate enough to attend three national Goldwing rallies {Billings Montana; Springfield, Missouri; and Birmingham, Alabama.} He loved to go and socialize with all the people, always telling a story, and always going to win the jackpot. He loved to go on the dinner rides--that seemed to happen often, as it is known that Goldwing Riders eat more than others -- especially stopping for ice cream, even we all knew he usually would not eat unless the food was free. He and fellow friends traveled west to California one summer and the Canadian Border on another. He rode in rain, hail, sleet, snow and the heat of the day. Nothing seemed to stop him from getting on his Goldwing and traveling, many times even on his own. Bill was responsible for several other Agra citizens getting their first Goldwing, because they could not let the “old man” have so much fun without them. The road will not be the same without Bill Pool riding his Goldwing with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth as he traveled down the road.

He was a charter member of the volunteer Agra fire department.

Billy will surely be missed by all his family and his many friends.

Graveside services will be held on Saturday, April 4, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. in the Osage Cemetery at Agra, with Reverend Roger Shaw, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Agra, officiating.