WALTERBORO: Mr. Billy W. Nettles, husband of Joyce Elaine Fender Nettles, died Saturday at his residence after a brief illness. He was 78.

Mr. Nettles was born in Walterboro March 26, 1934 a son of the late Walter and Beulah Pye Nettles. A veteran of the Army National Guard, he retired after thirty-four years of service as a mechanic and shop foreman for the public school bus maintenance department in Colleton County. He was a member of Edgewood Baptist Church and the Unity Masonic Lodge #55. Billy was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing and was a devoted husband, father and grandfather.

In addition to his wife of sixty years, he is survived by a son Dennis Nettles (Jean) of Walterboro and seven grandchildren: Dennis Billy Nettles Jr., Dawn Guillebeau (Mark), Wendy Reeves, Shannon Tillman, Chasity Brandt, Angel Brandt, and Roxanne Still (Brent). There are eleven great-grandchildren: Ashley and Lauren Guillebeau, Stephen and Jordon Reeves, Nicholas Woodard, Austin, Alexis and Jayna Connelly, Houston Kirkland, and Arden and John Ethan Still. He leaves behind close cousin that was raised with him as a brother, Jimmy Nettles of Sumter and his son-in-law Donald Brandt of Olar. In addition to five brothers and a sister, Mr. Nettles was preceded in death by his daughter Janice Nettles Brandt.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday morning at 11:00 in the Chapel of Parker-Rhoden Funeral Home, with burial following in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Tuesday evening from 6-8 PM and in lieu of flowers they request that memorials be made to the food pantry of Edgewood Baptist Church.