William "Billy" Pollard

William “Billy” Pollard went to be with the Lord on August 20, 2024. Billy was 77 years old and resided in Dayton, OH. Billy was preceded in death by the love of his life, La’Rese Pollard (Mauldin), his parents, Julius Pollard Sr., Evlyn Pollard (Grant), and brother Julius Pollard Jr. Billy is survived by his siblings Alvin “Chip” Pollard (Carolyn), Joyce Pollard Totten (Adell), and Estrelita “Kay” Pollard; his two sons, Terrence “Terry” Pollard (Amy) and Tracy Pollard (Angela); grandchildren, Taylor, T’Kayla, Breeze, Trevon, Tanasia, Lilie (Elijah), Terrina, Evan, William, Noah, and Tavarez “Taz”; and great grandchildren, Oaklynn, Ocean, and Elina; along with a host of loving relatives and friends. He is forever loved and will be missed greatly. 

Billy Pollard was born and raised in Mobile, AL. He attended and graduated from Williamson High School in 1964. Following high school, Billy, enlisted in the United States Air Force (USAF). He served several years until receiving an honorable discharge from active duty. Billy then joined the Air Force Reserve and served the remainder of his career until retirement. He married La’Rese V. Pollard on June 29, 1969, and their union lasted more than 50 years. Billy loved La’Rese with all his heart and was a devoted husband and father. 

Billy traveled various parts of the world including Guam, Guatemala, Philippines, and Saudi Arabia. As a civilian, Billy held multiple blue-collar jobs including, General Motors assembly plant worker, big rig oil truck driver for Marathon, mail carrier for USPS, and aviation parts machinist for Lord Corporation. Although Billy did not have a formal college education, he believed in being knowledgeable and informed. He was an advocate for using library resources and purchasing books to improve one’s knowledge. This way of thinking allowed Billy to be a self-taught handy man and DIY auto mechanic. The garage, driveway, and sometimes the backyard served as his very own auto shop. He performed his own oil changes, brake service, radiator repairs, battery and alternator, belts and hoses, and sometimes fuel pump repairs. Billy was determined, whenever possible, to do the repairs and not to trust another man to do the work he could learn to do himself. 

Billy was multifaceted with his knowledge and had exceptional artistic and musical talent. He was very skilled and gifted at hand drawing pictures. He could capture an idea with his mind and eyes and put it to paper by way of a drawing. Billy was also very musical. He would reminisce about singing with a friend group in High School and trying different harmonies. He had a very lovely, medium to high, tenor voice which would remind you of the musical sounds of the Temptations. Along with singing, Billy was a self-taught saxophonist. He learned to play the saxophone and practiced diligently in the home. He had a love for smooth jazz and 70’s R&B music. Billy’s love for music inspired him to give his two sons middle names after singing groups, Tramayne and Tavares . Later in his life, Billy, used his musical gift to serve the Lord in the ministry of praise and worship.

Billy enjoyed playing and watching sports. He enjoyed watching football, baseball, and basketball. He often reminisced about playing basketball while growing up in Mobile, AL. He played in various adult recreation leagues in Dayton, OH. Billy was a fan of Dr. J and the Lakers’ showtime era. He was also a devoted Cleveland Browns fan. 

Lastly, Billy had a great sense of humor. He was free with sharing jokes and would laugh with you or at you. He enjoyed watching action films, cowboy westerns, comedies, and sitcoms. A few of his favorite sitcoms were Three’s Company, The Jeffersons, and Sanford and Son. Billy was also a super fan of the movie series James Bond “007”. 

Home going services will be held on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, at Newcomer Funeral Home, 4104 Needmore Rd. Dayton, OH 45424. The schedule of the service is as follows: Viewing 10-11am with Service beginning at 11am.

Billy will be laid to rest at Dayton National Cemetery. Graveside service is scheduled for 1pm

Following the services, a repass will be held at Janice Ward Event Center. 

The Pollard family would like to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers, love, and support during this time. Special thanks to those who helped care for Billy during his last few years as his health declined. Special thank you to personal care assistant Tiffanie Perry, Siena Woods nursing and care staff, and Crossroads Hospice care staff. Special thanks also to the Sycamore Christian Center church family for their love and support.