Rev. Bill Tisdale

Billy Bob Tisdale, 85, of Henderson, Texas, beloved husband and best friend of Helen (McWilliams) Tisdale, went to his home in glory on September 24, 2014 surrounded by family. Bill was born January 8, 1929 in El Dorado, Arkansas to Albert and Stella (Albritton) Tisdale. Growing up in Selman City, TX, he graduated from Gaston High School in Joinerville, TX in 1946. After high school he attended Kilgore Junior College and then completed his bachelor's degree in business administration at his beloved University of Texas at Austin where he graduated in 1950. After college, Bill began work for Hunt Oil Company. While driving a pipe truck in the West Texas oil fields, he was involved in an accident on August 17, 1950, resulting in the loss of an arm. He continued working for Hunt Oil until 1952 after a period of recovery and rehabilitation. Bill married Helen McWilliams of Joinerville, TX on January 26, 1952. In October of that year, Bill answered God's call upon his life to serve in ministry and he entered Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in the autumn of 1953, graduating with a Master of Divinity degree in 1955. After pastoring two churches in Oklahoma and Texas, Bill felt the call to missions and was appointed as a Southern Baptist foreign missionary to the Philippines where he served for 15 years as a church planner and evangelist. Living in the city of Tarlac on the island of Luzon, God richly blessed Bill and Helen's ministry among the Filipino people whom they so dearly loved. He returned to the pastorate in 1970 and was called to serve a young Baptist church on the eastern border of Dallas. The timing of Bill's calling was providential and in the nine years he pastored Casa View Baptist, the Church experienced remarkable physical and spiritual growth. Dozens of young people answered God's call to ministry and many came to know Christ as Savior. In 1979, the voices of the Filipino people would be heard again and so Bill accepted an appointment as Director of Church Growth and Evangelism for the Philippines. He served until 1983 when he returned to the States to accept his last pastorate. Serving as Pastor of First Baptist Church of Henderson, TX, had always been a distant dream for Bill. Henderson represented the heart of East Texas -- the county of his boyhood, just down the road from where he lettered in sports at Gaston, where he met his only love of 62 years, near the McWilliams homestead, where they married in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church- it was a return to his roots and ultimately, the place where he would retire. He pastored at First Henderson for ten years and led the church to unprecedented growth. Bill loved hunting, fishing, people, his Texas Longhorns, and laughter. He had a quiet respect and deep love for the Land; and whether it was fishing the farm ponds of East Texas or quail hunting on the West Texas plains, he appreciated the beauty of the earth. Bill was preceded in death by his parents Albert and Stella, his sisters Velma Coffer, Eunice Phillips, Mildred Stewart, and Geneva Beggs. Bill is survived by his wife Helen, his four children Mark (Debi) Tisdale, Becky (John) Dickson, Pam (Johnny) Funderburg, and Paul (Judy) Tisdale, his nine grandchildren April, Nathan, Lauren, Matthew, David, Kristin, Andrew, Ryan, and Abigail, four great grandchildren, his brothers Donald and A. J. Tisdale, his sister Marie Abney, and numerous nieces and nephews. Bill was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend to all. He never met a stranger. A memorial service will be held at First Baptist Church of Henderson, TX on Saturday, October 4th at 2 p.m. A reception will follow in the Family Life Center. A private burial will be at Lakewood Cemetery. Crawford-A. Crim Funeral Home will manage all arrangements. Honorary pallbearers are the Men of Adult 7 Sunday School Dept., Dalton Jones, Harold Sadler, Malcolm Watson, Dwayne Yates, Sonny Rhea, Bryan Price, Rusty Phenix, and Doyle Sumrall. Memorial donations may be made in Bill's name to the First Baptist Church of Henderson's Children's Building Fund, 207 W. Main St., Henderson, Tx, 75654. Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.crawfordacrim.com.

Rev. Bill Tisdale

January 8, 1929 - September 24, 2014