SFC (Ret) Billy Nelson Church, affectionately known as Bill and Bim, went to be with the Lord on December 25, 2024 at the Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center, Augusta, GA. Funeral service will be held on Friday, January 3, 2024 at 1 p.m. at B. A. Williams Memorial Chapel. Interment will be at Belluvue Memorial Garden. A lifelong resident of Augusta, he was born on July 1, 1958 in Northampton County, VA to the late Myrtle M. Church and the late Bill Shorter. He was reared there and received his early education in the Northampton County Public Schools. In high school he excelled in football and track. He had a talent for art (i.e., painting and drawing). After graduating from high school in 1976, he attended art school in Albuquerque, NM. In 1977, Billy enlisted into the U.S. Army in the field of tactical communications. He retired as Sergeant First Class after 20 years of service. In 2000, he obtained a B.S. Degree in Business Administration from the Georgia Military College in Augusta, Georgia. He volunteered at the VA Medical Center until his health began to fail. Bill was a "fun-loving" guy and a "man of leisure." He enjoyed eating, watching sports on TV, talking politics, laughing, and telling jokes. He loved his wife and family. He liked large social gatherings and parties—for whatever reason. His many jovial years and memories are cherished by his loving and devoted wife, Judy, together for 36 years and married for 32; his two sons: Leslie (Latoya) Foreman and William Church; two sisters: Patricia Church, Fayetteville, NC and Gretchen Church (Kenneth), Milton, DE; five brothers: Willie (Susan), Gaithersburg, MD, Nixon, Nelsonia, VA, Christopher, High Point, NC, Hamilton (Helene) ,Fayetteville, NC, and Brian (Ramona), Exmore, VA; five granddaughters: Destiny & Taylor Foreman, Tyniquwa, Simeko, & Talaya Singleton; a great grand-daughter: Aubrey Harden; a god son: Kahlil Kedar Jr.; a mother-in-law: Dorothy Mathis, Waynesboro, GA; two brothers-in-law: Bobby (Shannon) Mathis, and Michael Mathis, Waynesboro, GA; eight sisters-in law: Janie (John) Abumere, Felicia (Jonathan) , Waynesboro, GA, Peggy Jones, Augusta, GA, Barbara, Diane, Trudy Devine, Augusta, GA, Bell (Larry) Kelly, Millen, GA and Connie Devine, Waynesboro, GA; and a host of nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, and other relatives and friends. Williams Funeral Home, 2945 Old Tobacco Road, Hephzibah, GA Funeral Service Friday, January 3, 2025 1:00 PM B. A Williams Memorial Chapel 2945 Old Tobacco Road Hephzibah,GA 30815