Billy Mack Ennis

After moving to Weldon, AR as a toddler, he attended Weldon elementary school for four years. He lived there until 1952, when his family moved to the Newport, AR Airbase. He attended junior high and graduated Newport, AR. High School in 1956. He joined the Methodist Church while in Weldon and communicated until his death with friends he grew up within Weldon.

He spent his first five years after high school working with the Corps of Engineers in Memphis, TN.

After seeing the movie Dumbo with Paula Joy Morgan on a January 1, 1960 blind date, they fell in love and were married November 27, 1960. That partnership lasted until his death and is to be continued.

He enrolledas a freshman at AR State in August 1961, where he was involved in student government and many other activities. While working essentially full time, he graduated in May 1965 with an accounting degree and a very respectable gpa.

Bill was president of the student government association and also received the Wilson Award, a prestigious award based on leadership and academics.

In October 1964, President Lyndon Johnson created and implemented the White House Fellows program. Approximately 200 university student leaders from across the USA were invited to the White House to share the announcement. Bill attended the meeting, which included a presidential family reception, entertainment (Stan Getz Quartet - Bob Newhart) in the east room, and dinner in the downstairs dining room.

Bill spent the next 3 years in the audit department of a big eight accounting firms’ Memphis office. He became a CPA during that time.

He was named controller of a frozen vegetable company in late 1968. The company was listed on the American Stock Exchange and eventually became The Pictsweet Company.He moved to Jackson, TN in 1977. After holding several management positions and helping to build a strong and successful company, he retired from Pictsweet in 2005.

While pursuing his career at Pictsweet, Bill found time to sit on several non-profitboards, play golf on many well-known courses, and hunt waterfowl across the USA and Canada.

It was Bill's opinion that reunion speeches and obituaries were written tomake people look smart and highly successful. Therefore, he loved to tell 3 stories that painted his other side---his not so smart side.

Phone rings and Bill answers :

Caller offers him a spot in the Masters Press Core Golf Tournament to be played on the Augusta National course Monday after the Masters ended on Sunday.He turned it down--too busy with annual audit in April.

Phone rings and Bill answers:

Caller (Stanford golfer-son of his California secretary)invites him to play golf on Saturday. Foursome would be the caller, Mr. Ennis, Tom Watson, and another Stanford University golfer. He turned it down--too busy to play Saturday.

Paula's dad was a banker andvery excited about a new retailer coming to town. Mr. Morgan drug him out to see the new store. Later he asked what Bill thought. Bill told him what he thought--the owner would choke on the interest required to carry their millions in branded inventory and as a result, be bankrupt in a year. Wal-Mart store number 71, had just opened in Pocahontas, AR. Today there are approximately6,500 Wal-Mart discount stores, Supercenters, Sam's Club’s, and Neighborhood Markets around the world.

Maybe Bill was not so smart after all ????

One thing was for sure. He loved his family and worked hard to have them together twice each year. He Loved those special moments during the Christmas Holidays in Jackson and The Fourth of July at Pickwick Lake.

Bill was preceded in death by his Parents and older brother Ronnie Denton Ennis. (Charlotte)

Bill is survived by wife Paula Joy Ennis, his soulmate of 56 years.

Brother: Rex Dale Ennis (Melissa) of Conway, AR.

Sister: Joyce Heffernan of Memphis, TN.

Daughter: Sherry Leigh Smith (Stuart) of Jackson, TN.

Son: William Morgan Ennis (Diana) of Chicago, IL.

Granddaughters: Savannah Smith of Portland, OR and Mireyah Joy and Olivia Isabel Ennis of Chicago, IL.

Grandsons: Mark Edwin Evans (Shanna) of Jackson, TN., Brandon Craig Evans (Andrea), of Memphis, TN., Garrett Connelly Paige and Taylor David Paige of Jackson, TN., Cameron Mack Paige and Logan Paul Paige of Louisville, KY., William Jonah Ennis of Chicago, IL.

Great Grandsons: Jagger Evans of Jackson, TN. and Parker Evans of Memphis, TN.

Great Granddaughters: Dylan McKenzie and Lillie Morgan Evans of Jackson, TN., and Raylei Paige, of Columbia, MO.

Nieces: Ivy French (Dave), of Mt. Pleasant, SC &

Stephanie Snider (Brandon) of Hanahan, SC.

Nephews: Charles McNutt of Greenville, SC., Eric McNutt (Whitney) of Jacksonville, FL., Hunter Ennis of Dallas, TX.

Grand Nieces: Rebecca and Dana Joyce McNutt of Jacksonville, FL.

Grand Nephews: Julian McCoy and Lilith Tenet Snider of Hanahan, SC., Ryder and Rex French of Mt. Pleasant, SC.

Memorial services: Saturday, February 18, 2017 at 1 p.m. in the sanctuary at

First United Methodist Church in Jackson. The family will receive friends following the service at a reception in Clayton Hall at First United Methodist Church.

Burial Services: Sunday, February 19th at 1:30 p.m. will be held at

Lawrence Memorial Park Cemetry, located at

324 Colonial Dr (County Road 447), Walnut Ridge, AR 72476-1412