William Henry Conner

William Henry Conner, 72,  passed away peacefully at home, Thursday, June 8, 2017, surrounded by his family after a courageous battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Services will be held at Mt. Zion Baptist Church on Monday, June 12, 2017. Visitation will be held in the sanctuary from 12:30 – 2:00 P.M. with the memorial service following at 2:00 P.M. Reverend Steve Lammons will officiate. Arrangements have been entrusted to Memorial Funeral Home and Crematory.

Bill was born on October 29, 1944, in Columbus, Mississippi. A 1963 graduate of Lee High School, he actively participated in sports and school activities. Bill continued his education at East Mississippi Community College and Mississippi State University. While at East Mississippi Community College, he met and later married the love of his life, Barbara McKay. Bill was honored to serve in the military as a member of Battery A, 2/ 114th FA, MS Army National Guard as a Section Chief. In addition, Bill spent over 45 successful years in the apparel business, serving as an independent sales executive and corporate regional territory manager. For nearly twenty years, he worked for Weather Tamer Apparel, where he also served as the national sales manager, and took great pride in the quality, American-made products and services he provided customers. Bill was blessed by close customer relationships that grew into lifelong friendships over the years. It was his desire to serve his customers that drove him to continue working until very recently, when his health declined.
Bill will be remembered for his positive energy, zeal for life and unwavering love and support of his family and friends. Bill enjoyed the outdoors, particularly watching the sun set on the Tennessee Tombigbee River, boating, fishing, and was an avid sports fan. For over a decade, he volunteered as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

He is preceded in death by his parents, William Henry Conner and Primrose Fox Conner, his brother, Frank T. Conner, and his father-in-law Robert Wilson McKay.

Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Barbara McKay Conner of Columbus; daughters Kameron Conner Ball (Bill) of Madison, MS; and Courtney Conner Hutchins (Wiley) of Columbus, MS; grandchildren Conner Elizabeth Ball, William David Ball, III, Wiley Carter Hutchins, IV and Ann Lynleigh Hutchins; brother, Kyle Conner (Elaine) and mother-in-law Frances Gray McKay, all of Columbus, MS.

Honorary pallbearers will be brother-in-laws Robert McKay and John Wick, cousins Don Wilder and Dr. Jobe Wilder, and friends Hudson Adams, Dr. Charles Atkins, Terry Brumley, Monroe Carr, Gene Guyton, Mickey Guyton, Russell Harris, Fred Hayslett, Lance Moore, Jerry Murphy, Bobby Patrick, Bill Russell, Don Shelton, Bill Tuggle and Bart Wise.
The family would like to thank Drs. Doyle Sumrall and Cameron Huxford, and the nursing staff at Kindred Hospice for their care and compassion.

To honor his love for his grandchildren, memorials may be made in memory of him to Heritage Academy, 625 Magnolia Ln, Columbus, MS 39705 or Jackson Academy, 4908 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, MS 39211.