BBBTV12 Serving Anderson, Roane, and Morgan Counties
Billy Thomas “Bill” Hicks, Sr., age 84, passed away peacefully in his sleep, on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, after years of battling health issues. A native of Clinton, Bill played football in high school for the Dragons and then at Tennessee Wesleyan College, where he received his bachelor’s degree in education. While at Wesleyan, he met incoming freshman, Sandra Copeland of Harriman, whom he had been asked to “watch over” by a mutual friend. He did. The two were married on March 20, 1959. Bill then shipped off to boot camp and served in the U.S. Army Reserves for six months while continuing his education. Bill and Sandy soon started a family in Oak Ridge with a daughter, LeeAnn, in June of 1963 and then an “Irish Twin” son, Billy Jr. “Chip”, the following June. Bill earned his master’s degree in education from The University of Tennessee before spending several years teaching 6th-grade science at Norwood Elementary and Jefferson Jr High, where he also coached football. He was then hired away by what was then Union Carbide. He spent the next 30 years in the Personnel Department, retiring in 1996 as a Benefit Plans Administrator. It seemed that everyone knew Bill. He often joked that he “either hired ‘em or fired ‘em”. Never one to sit around and watch the paint dry, less than a year after retiring, Bill took over as owner/operator of The Daily Grind, a small coffee shop in Jackson Square in Oak Ridge.
A “people person” at his core, Bill loved the opportunity it gave him to mingle with friends and neighbors. So much so, he eventually opened another Daily Grind in his hometown of Clinton. Unfortunately, Bill’s health issues made it impossible to continue running either location and he missed it immensely every day since. Another of Bill’s passions was serving as Chairman of the Board of the Y-12 Federal Credit Union. During his 30 years as Chairman, the credit union opened more branches than any other period in their history. As chairman, Bill’s name appears on the outside of many of them. Bill was proud to have been born, raised, and educated in Tennessee and was an avid fan and supporter of the Tennessee Vols. Bill loved his family and his God and he never met a stranger.
Bill was preceded in death by parents, Billy & Mary Hicks. Survivors include wife of 64 years, Sandra Lee Copeland Hicks; daughter, LeeAnn Hicks Sherrill & husband, Joseph; son, Billy Thomas “Chip” Hicks, Jr. & wife, Susan; grandchildren, Landon Sherrill & wife, Lauren, and Zachery Sherrill & wife, Nichole; step-grandchildren, Adam and Chad Kennedy; great-grandchildren, Iris, Ruby, and Dean Sherrill; and step-great-grandchildren, Hannah and Chad Garet Kennedy.
The family would like to extend special thanks to the staff at Commonwealth Senior Living and Amedisys Hospice for the care they provided and to Kern Memorial United Methodist Church for their love and support.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations In Bill’s honor to Tennessee Wesleyan University at tnwesleyan.edu/alumni-friends/ways-to-give/index.php.
The family will receive friends 5-7 pm Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at Weatherford Mortuary. A celebration of Bill’s life will be held at a later date. Online condolences may be left at weatherfordmortuary.com.
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