William Alexander Gill Jr

William "Little Billy" Alexander Gill Jr, 52, a resident of Lapine, Alabama, passed away unexpectedly at Regional Medical Center of Central Alabama in Greenville on Saturday, July 12th, 2025. Funeral services for Billy will be held at 2 PM on Saturday, July 19th, from the Chapel of Turners Funeral Home with Rev. Allen Brock officiating. He will then be laid to rest beside his father in Bethlehem Cemetery with Turners Funeral Home of Luverne directing. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday for one hour prior to the service.

Billy was born in the fast lane and that's the way he preferred to live for the rest of his life. No wheelchair was going to stop him from the life he wanted either, not when he could strap a motor to it so he could hit 35 MPH....though brakes would have also been a useful addition!! Seriously though, Billy was a model of resilience and strength that served as an inspiration to everyone. He grew up with a love of drag racing and began building street cars himself by the time he was 12-13 years old. It didn't matter that fast cars would one day land him in that chair, he never fell out of love with it, nor was he going to stop doing what he loved.

You see, there was nothing Billy couldn't build or tinker with. He started at the tender age of only 3 years old and it was a lifetime obsession because he truly had a gift for working on motors and with his hands. He could build anything he set his mind to though, perhaps, strapping a lawnmower motor to a boat wasn't his best idea....but that sure didn't stop him from having fun while he could make it run! Like I said, Billy wasn't just gifted with motors but also with his hands. He even built his very own saw mill, despite being in a wheelchair because nothing was going to hold him back.

Billy was a natural leader from an early age because he always respected others and met them where they were at. He was also the cool, fun uncle who knew how to make life interesting, especially when he could figure out a way to give his nieces and nephews a good scare! He had a wonderful sense of humor which allowed him to see the best in his life without wallowing in difficult situations. That good humor was infectious, which always made time spent together always a good time. He might have had a bit of a feisty personality, but he also wore his heart on his sleeve due to his love of everyone he met. Above all, he was a devoted father, grandfather, son, and brother who will be missed more than words could possibly express. Hopefully, decades of wonderful memories made together will be a source of comfort for all those who knew and loved him so well.

Billy was preceded in death by his father and stepmother, William Sr and Debra Gill, and his grandparents, Milmon Wesley Stringfellow & Annie Laura Hudson King and Douglas Gill & Laverne Garlock. He is survived by his beloved children, Alex (Layla) Bowden and Aaron Gill; grandchildren, Maddie Bowden, John Bowden, and Mia Gill; mother, Carolyn Stringfellow Woodruff (Richard McGahee); siblings, Amanda Gill, Bridget Edwards, Shane Gill, and Robert (Cathy) Gill; and numerous nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends.

Active pallbearers will be Wesley Gill, Codie Gill, Michael Watson, Austin Gill, Chad Dobbs, and Ricky Bodiford.