William Emerson Shackelford

William "Bill" passed away to be with his Lord on April 27, 2020, in the ICU of Billings Clinic, with the loving care of the unit and his wife, Charlotte, by his side.

Bill was born on Jan. 29, 1931, in Phoebus-Hampton, Virginia, to Milton Speede and Marie Gammel Shackelford. He was the youngest of six children, brought up in a Baptist Christian-filled home. He graduated from Hampton High School and attended Virginia Tech in Blacksburg as a cadet, graduating as a mechanical engineer in 1952. He served his military duty at Wright-Patterson AFB.

Bill came west to work for the aircraft industries in Los Angeles and relocated to San Jose, working with Lockheed and FMC.

Bill married his wife, Charlotte, an elementary schoolteacher, and they settled in San Jose. They bought and restored homes, taking time out to travel the USA. Their final trip was riding the British Rail in England and Scotland. In 1988, they settled in Williamsburg, Virginia, until 2013, when they returned west to the Billings area. They spent three years restoring a 1920 vintage home in Columbus and enjoyed living together until his passing.

Bill was a good, gentle soul as a husband and friend. He will be missed extremely.

Celebration of his life service will be held this summer.

Memorial gifts may be made to Project Hope in Columbus or at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Billings.