Funeral services for William Bowyer "Bill" Handley, 99, of Rabun Gap, were held Tuesday, Nov. 16, at Hillside Memorial Chapel. The Rev. James Turpen and the Rev. Kenneth McEntire officiated.
Mr. Handley went home to be with the Lord on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021.
Born May 16, 1922, in Huntington, West Virginia, he was a son of the late Garland Love Handley and the late Heloise Bowyer Handley Tolbert. In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by his wife, Martha Alice Williamson Handley; brother and sister-in-law, Robert Handley Tolbert and Margaret E. Tolbert; and a nephew, Robert Arthur Rip Tolbert.
Bill served his country proudly in the United States Army Air Corp during WWII and was retired from Georgia Power Company with 37 years of dedicated service. In earlier years, "Wild Bill," as he was known, was deeply involved with the Tallulah Falls Volunteer Fire Department and the Tallulah Falls Lions Club. Following retirement, he enjoyed many years of traveling around the country, bird and squirrel watching, and was a natural engineer of various homemade devices. Bill also spent hours researching and compiling his family's genealogy into a family book and was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. Most of all, he enjoyed spending precious time with his family and was affectionately known to his grandchildren as Poppy.
Survivors include his daughters and sons-in-law, Heloise and Chuck Wilson of Jonesboro, Lynn Handley and Bruce Taylor of Decatur, and Julia and Bill McEntire of Lula; grandchildren, Caroline and Jared Steinberg of Cumming, Lily and Joshua Killingsworth of Manhattan, New York, Tyler and Hannah McEntire of Lula, and Seth and Madeline McEntire of Smyrna; great-grandchildren, Piper Steinberg and Luke McEntire; sister-in-law, Lillie Williamson of Mountain City; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and a host of friends.
Bill's wishes were to be cremated following the funeral service.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to www.stjude.org/donate in memory of Bill Handley.
An online guest registry is available for the Handley family at HillsideMemorialChapel.com
Hillside Memorial Chapel, Clarkesville, was in charge of arrangements.