By Staff
Atmore
Mr. William Ray “Bill” Whitehead, 78, died Saturday, June 14, 2008, at his residence in Atmore. He was a native of Excel, was retired from Monsanto as a maintenance mechanic, and had served for five years as an Escambia County Sheriff's deputy. He was a member and usher of First Baptist Church of Atmore. He is preceded in death by his wife, Rosa Belle Whitehead, and seven brothers and sisters.
He is survived by a sister, Ethel Bost of Atmore; six sons, Michael Ray Whitehead of Blakley, Ga., William Robert Whitehead of Troy, Benjamin Brooks Whitehead, James Edward McKinley, and Joseph Daniel Whitehead, all of Atmore, and David Alan McKinley of Leeds; a daughter, Deborah Whitehead Proctor of Springfield, Tenn.; 16 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, June 17, at 10 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of Atmore, with the Rev. Arnold Hendrix and the Rev. Kelly Brown officiating. Burial followed at Oak Hill Cemetery with Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home directing. Active pallbearers were Brandon Whitehead, Harrison Whitehead, Jamie McKinley, Jeremy McKinley, Kevin Spence and Denver Davis. Honorary pallbearers were his grandsons, Taylor Whitehead, Adam McIntyre, Brannon Whitehead and Bradley Whitehead.