Billy Don Houston

Bill was born August 28, 1951, to Marcelle and Jesse Lee Houston, Sr., in Mesa, Arizona. He was passionate about politics, studying scripture, unexplained phenomena, and playing golf. He was well read and could speak comfortably on any topic, from philosophy to romantic tales of the American West. He could keep a conversation going for hours or, sometimes, unintentionally end it in a fast minute.

Bill was tough as nails, a true cowboy with a daring spirit and a love for guns and motorcycles. Once he took his wife and brother dirt bike riding and, being a good role model, decided to jump an impossible gully. Not only did he clear that gaping valley-stream, but he decided he also better break his leg as proof.

Bill was a good shot and liked to impress women with his master aim. Once, on a first date, he took a young lady to his makeshift shooting range. He made sure to hit every one of his targets and when his date missed all of hers he offered kind encouragement and, ever the gentleman, hit them all for her. Not long afterward, he married that young lady and brought five children into the world. Bill introduced his unborn children to his love for motorcycles by taking his pregnant wife for rides on his Harley down Black Canyon Highway in Arizona.

Bill was passionate about the church and community. He was an Elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He loved sharing the teachings of the lord with his children and baptized them in the church. Through the church, he had the rare opportunity to work with the Havasupai Nation building their first school at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. He had the lumber donated for the new school and took his son, Jared, and his Boy Scout troop along to help construct the school.

He was a master of all trades who could fix cars, build homes, and who seemed to have a confident ease about him as he went about tackling any problem, regardless of how unexpected it may have been. In fact, he even delivered his youngest daughter, Carmen, at home since she couldn’t wait until they arrived at the hospital to be in his loving arms.

Bill was the eldest of 8 children and carried many responsibilities as a father, husband, brother, son, and friend. He enjoyed serving his loved ones because, to him, there was no greater honor than to love and accept unconditionally. When around Bill one would often hear him say, “Hi sugar, whatcha up to?”. He had a lot of sugars and made every single one of them feel like they were the only one that mattered. But the sweetest sugars of all were his six grandchildren. He lived for the little darlings and they were always at the top of his mind.

Sugars preceding Bill in death are his father, Jesse Lee Houston Sr, brother, Geary Houston, and his lifelong friend Billy Dyess.

His surviving sugars’ are his children, Shantelle Bagnall, Aaron Houston, Janelle Houston, Carmen Houston, Jared Houston, his six grandchildren, his five sisters; Pennie Houston, Sandra Houston, Kimberly Jean Houston, Lori Clayton, Allison Preston, his brother; Jesse Lee Houston Jr. and his mother Marcelle Houston.

Bill loved life and spent much of it studying the mysteries of the universe and searching the scriptures for answers. Now, he is in a heaven of knowledge. A celebration of life will be held November 17, 2018, at 5:00 p.m. at the LDS Church located at 12951 N 83rd Ave., Peoria, AZ 85345.