Services for Billy Carl Villines, 87, of Ada are 1:00 p.m. Tuesday at Criswell Funeral Home Chapel, Floyd Kaiser, retired from Southwest Church of Christ will officiate. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mr. Villines passed away Thursday, August 16, 2018 at a Shawnee hospital. He was born May 13, 1931 at Bowlegs, OK to Roy Lee and Winifred Forest Villines. He attended Bowlegs schools and excelled in basketball in high school. After graduating from high school, he attended East Central University in Ada. His college career was cut short when he broke his ankle and was unable to compete further. He graduated with a degree in Education. While at ECU, he met his lifelong sweetheart, Lawana Scott. They were married for 67 years.
After a brief stint working in the oil fields, Bill moved into coaching and that is where he made his mark. At the high school level, he coached at Monahans, TX, where, as head basketball coach he led the team to their first district championship. From there he became head coach at Cooper High School in Abilene, TX and achieved much success. Following his stellar high school career, he accepted a position as head basketball coach at Oklahoma Christian helping the schools highly respected basketball program. Many of the young men Bill coached went on to outstanding careers one notable example was Jack Milden, former Lt. Governor of Oklahoma.
Moving from coaching to school Administration, Bill held numerous positions including Superintendent of Schools in Maud and Madill, OK.
Bill and Lawana enjoyed life, particularly camping in their travel trailer in New Mexico and Colorado and spending weekends hunting for arrow heads, accumulating an extensive collection. Bill was an avid reader often finishing an entire book in one day.
Coach Villines was a genuine patriot who loved America and followed politics, always voting his conscience. He and his wife were devout Christian’s regular attendees of the Church of Christ. In Ada, Bill and Lawana were faithful members of Southwest Church of Christ. He will be fondly remembered by all who met him as a humble gentleman who loved life, history, family, friends and cats.
Bill loved cats and they loved him. Bill had a special place for his beloved cats, Bubba, Missy, Max and Benjie. When Bill and Lawana were looking for a home in Ada a priority was a place for his cats.
Coach Villines will be missed but not forgotten because he left a positive impression on everyone he met.
Survivors include one son, Stacy Villines; a daughter, Deborah Villines Claeys; two grandchildren, Chris Roy Wallace and William Brian Wallace; a sister, Joan Bond; brother, Ronnie Villines; nieces and nephews, Renee Bond, Lindalee McEntee, Gil Gagnon, Donald Scott and wife Vickie, Arnold Scott and wife Linda, Carol Richardson and husband Darrel, Evonda Jackson and Loretta Bush and husband Tom.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lawana on June 24th 2018, and a son, Scotty Villines.
Bearers will be Jerry Miller, Daryl Pultz, Pete Duncan, Bubba Tidwell, Eugene Cannon and David Dirrim. Honorary bearers will be Dale Hartman, Larry Lowe and Buddy Capps.
The family says those who wish may make memorials to the Haitian Widow’s Fund, c/o Southwest Church of Christ, 505 W. 17th, Ada, OK 74820.
Criswell Funeral Home, Ada.
