Billy Joe Booth, 77
November 15, 1947 – June 2, 2025
UNION COMMUNITY / PLANTERSVILLE – A great soul whose 77-year earthly pilgrimage was devoted to God, family and his country, crossed to the other side on Monday evening, June 2, 2025 at North MS Medical Center after a period of declining health. Born into pioneer south Lee County families, Billy Joe was born in the Union Community south of Plantersville on November 15, 1947, to the late Joe Booth and Lorene Scribner Booth. He grew up attending the Union Baptist Church and graduated from Nettleton High School in 1965. Shortly thereafter, he enlisted in the U.S. Army serving a tour of duty in Vietnam where he was a sharpshooter rifleman seeing several combat missions. After bravely serving two years, he was honorably discharged and then joined the U.S. Army Reserves retiring with the rank of Sergeant. For his bravery, he was awarded with several medals. Billy was soft spoken, respectful, kind to all and fully embraced the Biblical admonition of a Golden Rule man. He quietly helped hundreds who struggled in their lives. Billy and his family founded, owned, and operated Billy Booth Deliveries for 20 years before he retired, which specialized in the transport of pharmaceuticals all across the Mid-South. He had locations in Plantersville, Memphis, Jackson, and Meridian, having become very successful in his chosen work. For many years, the Booths were members of the Open Door Baptist Church where he helped build the church building in East Tupelo, served in many capacities including teaching Sunday School and leading singing. He loved his land where he raised cattle and horses. He and his wife of 52 years, Peggy Ramey Booth, regularly traveled to Shelbyville, TN, to walking horse shows. Billy was a gun and case knife collector, loved fishing and admiring all of God’s creation. His legacy will be that of a great family man, a patriotic American Soldier, and an above average businessman who devoted himself to the values of hard work and living a purpose filled life. He will be missed!
A service celebrating his life will be held at 2 PM Friday, June 6, 2025, in the Sadie Holland Memorial Chapel at Holland Funeral Directors-Tupelo with his pastor, Bro. Scotty Crawson officiating. Sheriff Jim Johnson will deliver the eulogy. Private family burial with military honors will take place immediately following the service at Lee Memorial Park in Verona. Visitation for the public will be from Noon-service time on Friday only at Holland-Tupelo Chapel which is honored to be serving their friends and neighbors. For those unable to attend, the service may be viewed at hollandfuneraldirectors.com/live-streaming at 2 PM Friday.
Billy is survived by his grateful family: his wife, Peggy of Plantersville; his two sons, Greg Driskill (Brandi) of Plantersville and Malcomb Driskill (Terri) of Saltillo, and daughters, Angie Richie (Eddie) of Saltillo and Tammy Loveless (David) of Plantersville; two sisters, Barbara Oswalt (Kenneth) of Tupelo and Brenda Clayton (Raymond) of Nettleton; 11 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great grandchildren; 4 nephews, 2 nieces, and all their families. He was preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Lorene Booth; and his paternal grandparents, Thomas Booth and Annie Bell Edwards Booth, and maternal grandparents, Walter Scribner and Isolene Ridings Scribner.
Pallbearers will be Brent Green, Brandon Driskill, Matthew Driskill, Ryan Palmer, Ben Loveless, Bubba Wiygul, David Loveless and Eddie Richie. Honorary pallbearers will be Greg Driskill, Malcomb Driskill, Mark Oswalt, Mike Oswalt, Jim Oswalt and Brad Clayton.
Memorials may be made to the Tupelo Veteran’s Park, P. O. Box 3608, Tupelo, MS 38803. Condolences may be posted on Billy’s memorial page at hollandfuneraldirectors.com.
Please follow the funeral home link above for further information, or to send online condolences or memorial gifts.
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