August 3, 1944 - August 4, 2023 On August 4, 2023, William R “Billy” Newsome entered his heavenly home.
A World War II baby, Billy was born in Savannah, Georgia, to the late Beamon and Olivia Smith Newsome. In addition to his parents, Billy was preceded in death by his four brothers who were greatly missed: Jerry, Randy, Lavon and Ricky Newsome.
Billy was reared in Statesboro, Georgia and attended the Statesboro Primitive Baptist Church. As a young man, he served his country as a Marine in Vietnam, surviving great injury and earning a Purple Heart. After his military service, he studied at Georgia Southern University, earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s degree in electrical engineering. Billy loved technology and gadgets and had the ingenuity to repair almost anything. Billy owned a well-drilling company, a garage-door business, and restored older homes. He also made multiple trips to Haiti, traveling on dangerous roads and navigating fragile politics, to install water wells for impoverished residents.
For the last 25 years, he and his wife, Grace, lived in Dawsonville, Georgia and attended the Church of the Apostles there, where he had many dear friends.
Billy is survived by his devoted wife of 54 years, Grace Groover Newsome; three children, R Padgett (Trevor), Shannon Walden (Les), and Justin Newsome (Laura); 11 wonderful grandsons, Brooks, Chandler, Wesley, Theron, Abram, Cayden, Andersen, Hardin, Fenton, Travers, and Sutton; and one precious granddaughter, Anna Faith. He is also survived by numerous brothers- and sisters-in-law, cousins, and nieces and nephews, all of whom meant a great deal to him.
The family will receive visitors on Monday, August 7, 2023 from 3:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m at Middleground Primitive Baptist Church in Statesboro. The funeral will follow at 4:00 p.m. with Elder Randy Waters officiating. Interment with military honors will follow in the church cemetery.
Friends may sign the online register book at www.joineranderson.com
Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home & Crematory of Statesboro is in charge of the arrangements.