Billy Raymond Power

Billy Raymond Power, 84, of Bay St. Louis, MS, passed away peacefully on July 13, 2026 with his wife Sandra by his side.

Born March 8, 1942, in Starkville, MS, Billy was the son of Curtis and Frankie Sue (King) Power. He graduated from Weir High School in 1960 and Mississippi State University in May 1964 with a B. A. in Education.

Growing up, Billy enjoyed working and building with his father at his mechanic shop. Whether it was changing spark plugs on cars or rebuilding motors, there was no task that he would not complete to the best of his ability.

In a town of less than 500 people, Billy met a girl who would become his wife of 62 years. Billy and Sandra met early in high school and dated throughout. Billy’s mechanical knowledge came in handy during college when he would disconnect the odometer in his car so his parents would not know he was going to visit Sandra out in the country.

They married in 1964 at New Zion Church in Weir, MS. After student-teaching in Bay St. Louis, Billy came to love the area and the two made their home there.

In 1966, Billy and Sandra started their family and raised their two children, Stephanie and Doug. They became active members of Old Town Presbyterian Church. Billy served as an Elder of the church for many years and in 2025 was honored as Elder Emeritus after 54 years of dedicated membership.

It comes as no surprise that Billy then spent 22 years teaching junior high shop in the Bay-Waveland school system. In those 22 years, Billy helped shape many of his students’ futures by his ability to instruct and guide them through shop projects. The success of his classes and students was only possible through his unparalleled patience. Just think about trying to teach 13-15 year olds how to measure, cut, and sand a piece of wood for the first time.

Billy left his teaching career to work at GE Plastics as an operations technician. He spent 18 years there and retired in 2005.

In the shop behind their house, there was always a project in progress. From fixing up Stephanie’s and Doug’s first cars, to providing friends and neighbors with the tools and space they needed, Billy’s shop was an integral part of many people’s lives. Not only his children, but his grandchildren have many fond memories of working on projects with him in his shop. There’s no question he earned the nickname “Mr. Fix It”.

One of his proudest projects was building a house constructed of timber he and his father cut and sawmilled themselves. Now called “The Farmhouse”, this home in Choctaw County, MS has served as a place for his family to spend time together. When he was not taking on a big project, he enjoyed carving and painting duck decoys.

Known for his handiness, witty sayings, and love of the outdoors, Billy spent his life serving others and has undoubtedly left an impact on those who knew him. Billy will be greatly missed, but his family has great pride in knowing how many lives he touched and will forever cherish the countless memories they have with him.

He is survived by his loving wife Sandra Whitmire Power, his daughter Stephanie Ruoss (Hans), his son Doug (Marcie), his grandchildren Nick Ruoss, Jonathan Ruoss (Megan), Rachel Ruoss, Victoria Power (Elizabeth), Amelia Power, great-granddaughter Nicole Ruoss, sister Debbie Rice (Bill), sisters-in-law Annabelle Dunlap (Dave) and Martha Mills (David), brother-in-law Wayne Ingram (Gloria), and many extended family members. Billy was preceded in death by his parents and his sister-in-law Linda Ingram. The family extends heartfelt gratitude to Katherine Major who assisted recently with his care and for the staff at St. Joseph’s Hospice.

A funeral service will be held on July 16, 2026 at 3:00 P.M. at Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church, 176 Mt. Zion Rd., McCool, MS 39108. Visitation will be held at the church from 2:00 until 3:00 P.M. prior to the service. Interment will be in Mt. Zion Cemetery.

A memorial service will be held at Old Town Presbyterian Church, 114 Ulman Ave., Bay St. Louis, MS on July 18, 2026 at 2:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Old Town Presbyterian Church, P. O. Box 2607, Bay St. Louis, MS, 39521 or Hancock County Food Pantry, 9972 MS-603, Bay St. Louis, MS, 39520.