William B. "Billy" Kittrell

William Baytop “Billy” Kittrell, 83, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma died Thursday, January 27, 2022. He was born December 1, 1938, in Gregory, Arkansas, a son of the late John B. and Adelia (Huenefeld) Kittrell. He is survived by his devoted wife of 58 years, Yvonne Kittrell; 2 children, Angie Kittrell Locke, and husband Ken, and William C. Kittrell; 3 grandchildren, Robyn Nicole Locke, Jacob Benjamin Locke, and Cassidy Alexandra Locke; 2 brothers, Charles Minor Kittrell and John B. Kittrell, Jr.; a sister, Betty Beasley, and 14 nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by a brother, Carl H. Kittrell. Funeral services will be conducted on Saturday, February 12, 2022 at 2:30 p.m. at the Powell Funeral Home Chapel in Augusta. Visitation will precede the service, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Billy grew up in the rural town of Gregory, AR, as the youngest of five children. He had three big brothers and one big sister, all whom he adored and looked up to. One of his favorite memories of childhood was going to baseball games with his father and enjoying the ambrosia salad and fried chicken his mom made. In high school, Billy was crowned homecoming king and earned good grades. After high school, he attended the University of Arkansas at Monticello, where he was a member of the Phi Lambda Chi fraternity. He graduated with a degree in Business Administration and also studied forestry. In 1962, Billy joined the U.S. Marine Corps, graduated from Officers Candidate School, and served as a communications officer for three years. During that time he discovered the love of his life while on a triple date to the movie "The Music Man", and leaned in to make Yvonne his sweetheart. An engagement took place after only 3 months of dating; they met in August and were married on April 15th. He and Yvonne always joked that they got married on Tax Day because the irony was that everything they owned could fit in their car. Bill was discharged in 1965 as a first lieutenant and the father of a one-year-old baby girl. Later that year, Bill went to work for Phillips 66 and completed the sales and marketing training program in Kansas City. In 1966, he was assigned as a marketing representative in Wichita, KS. He became a father again to a towheaded, blue-eyed little boy. Four years later, he transferred to Salina, KS, where he pursued a long-awaited dream of taking flying lessons and obtained his pilot’s license with flying colors. After six years in Salina, he transferred to Garden City, KS, for a short term of 9 months. After much prayer and hoping, in 1977, Bill was hired by the Phillips 66 Aviation Department and moved to Denver, where he and Yvonne lived until July, 1992. He serviced aviation accounts in North and South Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona – all from his home in Denver. He cherished his time flying to these states and relished the beauty of the topography from the air, all while his bride waited faithfully for him to return home every time he traveled. He and Yvonne moved to Bartlesville for their retirement years and kept busy with much volunteering and church activities. Let's reminisce about what Bill loved. Cowboy museums featuring Remington statues and paintings were always a joy for him and he marveled at the genius of the artist every time. His love of music broadened through the years, all the way from Crystal Gayle to the Irish Tenors and Spanish guitar music (Segovia!). He found the classical radio stations without fail right after buckling his seat belt in the car. He loved keeping up with golf tournaments (Trevino, Mickelson, Nicklaus), playing golf with his son, Chris, and with his best buddies, surveying new golf courses in new places, and collecting shelves and shelves of books about the sport. He loved camping in the Rocky Mountains with his family, taking family trips in the car all over the U.S.,and gallivanting all over the world to see other countries with Yvonne for anniversaries and to fulfill bucket list wishes. Bill was a runner when he was younger and taught his kids about fitness, taking them to the YMCA and throwing around a baseball and football with both of them in the front yard of the house. He was fond of doing the crossword puzzles every day from the newspaper, and feeding the birds in the backyard (but NOT feeding the squirrels). He came up with some fancy contraptions for keeping those pesky squirrels off the bird feeder. He loved seeing his grandkids' concerts, theatre productions, sporting events, and birthday parties over the years. He tried wood carving for a while and was proud of that. He was a really good saver and collector of coins and stamps, a hobby that he inherited from his mother and also from his big brother, Carl H. He savored Arkansas pecans which he gleaned right from his childhood house's front yard in Gregory, and played in the cotton fields across the street. His hometown people always liked to call him a "good 'ole boy." He liked guns and target shooting and books about the Civil War, along with the novels of Tony Hillerman, Clive Cussler, and Larry McMurtry. Bill was a kitty and dog whisperer. He took joy in animals and made friends with them everywhere he went. He trained to be a docent at Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Refuge outside of Bartlesville. He loved singing in the church choir, harkening back to his Methodist days, and organizing and disseminating Gideon’s Bibles to businesses all over town. He was fond of "junking" in old antique shops to find records, books, and the odd, still-in-great-shape golf club. He pursued photography and even built a darkroom in the house in the family's Salina days. He liked the calming sound of rotating fans and also the necessity of lots of ice in the glass with a drink, which he passed on to his daughter.. He liked to sit with the guys at the airport FBO and have coffee at least once a week. Billy was always jovial and up for a laugh or two. Billy was the one everyone could count on to call and check on family, wherever they were in the world, especially if he saw there was inclement weather in their area. He was adept at keeping up with the weather after all those years of paying attention in order to prepare for flights. He flew a Cessna Centurion and a Twin Cessna 310 during his career with Phillips 66. He was a constant, unwavering Razorbacks fan. He dreamed of going to the pyramids someday. He thought going to Egypt sounded pretty darn neat in spite of the heat. Hopefully, the Great Architect has built his heavenly mansion to fit his grand yet humble aspirations. To Yvonne, her husband had a “servant’s heart”, donating 17 gallons of blood over the years and serving others in need in quiet ways. He was a faithful helper and a “helpmate” to her, never complaining. The testimony of his deep faith was expressed in his actions. He was steadfast, dependable, and much loved.

William B. "Billy" Kittrell

December 1, 1938 - January 27, 2022