Horace Palmer Bill, Jr.

Horace Palmer Bill Jr. of Blacksburg, Virginia passed away February 16, 2019 at his home at Warm Hearth Village in Blacksburg. Born February 20, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois, Horace with his parents Horace and Cecile Bill Sr moved to Colonial Heights, Virginia where Horace grew up at a time where he and his best friends enjoyed many extraordinary adventures and experiences canoeing the James River area, collecting archeological finds and living exciting stories that he shared throughout his life with his friends and family. As Horace always reminded us “It was truly a special time and a different world in which to grow up”. After graduating from Petersburg High School in 1945 Horace served his county in the US Navy during WW II aboard the destroyer class U.S.S. Fechteler. Horace then attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech) where he earned a Civil Engineering B.S. degree and where he met Betty Francis Carden of Radford, Virginia, his future wife. After marriage Horace and Betty moved to Syracuse, NY where he started his professional career with Allied Chemical, subsequently relocated by Allied Chemical to Brunswick, Georgia then on to Baton Rouge, Louisiana where they lived many years raising their two sons Horace III and David. Later after a short time in Atlanta Georgia Horace retired where he and Betty split their time between Travelers Rest retirement village in Dade City, Florida and at their family farm located in Christiansburg, Va. Horace is survived by his family son Horace Palmer Bill III (wife Karen), The Randall family of Oceanside, Ca, The Nadas family of Moorpark CA, Ryan, Alexander and Jennifer Bill of Moorpark CA and son David Wade Bill (wife Leennette), Jessie Bill, and Austin “Hunter” Bill (wife Kathleen). A memorial graveside service will be held at 10:00 am Saturday June 8th at West View Cemetery on 5th street in Radford, Va.
The Bill family is in the care of Mullins Funeral Home & Crematory in Radford. www.mullinsfuneralhome.com