Billy Joe Hill died peacefully at the age of 84 on Saturday, July 18, 2026 in College Station, Texas.

Born in Rogers, Texas on August 22, 1941 to Billie Louise and Edward Peyton Hill, Billy Joe was the second-born of the four Hill children, including his big brother Howard Wayne and sister Joyce Ann. He is survived by his youngest brother (Jamie) James Edward and his wife of 61 years, Bea. He leaves behind daughters Tracy and Courtney, granddaughters Emma and Beth, and sons-in-law Tommy and Adam.

Billy Joe grew up as a stellar athlete and graduated from Angleton High School in 1959, then went on to play basketball and baseball at Tyler and Wharton County junior colleges, and was a star pitcher for the Angleton Indians. Around that time, Billy Joe worked at Monsanto, where he met and flirted with Bea Labay in the lunch cafeteria. They married on April 30, 1965 and celebrated 61 years together. In 1973, Billy Joe and Bea welcomed their first daughter, Tracy, and in 1982 their second, Courtney.

After a time, Billy Joe decided to follow his passion and as a University of Houston Cougar, earned the degree that propelled him into a long, fulfilling career as a high school teacher and coach. In nearly 40 years, Billy Joe worked at 10 schools across the state of Texas, where he impacted countless students’ and young adults’ lives.

Billy Joe taught Government & Economics and US History and was known as a challenging yet supportive mentor whose collegiate lecture style was offset by constant coin-jingling while standing in front of the classroom. As the years went on, Billy Joe worked to advance his own knowledge of the subjects he taught and even became an AP-certified teacher.

As a coach, Billy Joe was known as a great defensive football coach, but actually he coached it all. There was track and field, basketball, baseball (his first true love, and Bea knew it) and even tennis. Billy Joe was the de facto doctor on the field and bus driver to games.

Driving was a constant joy in Billy Joe’s life, from his early days of working on cars with his big brother to Sunday afternoon drives with Bea, snacking on salted peanuts and Coca-Cola, to teaching Driver’s Ed, where many former students have their own stories of his antics, including both of his daughters.

In retirement, Billy Joe took full advantage of his newfound freedom and traveled all over the US. He and Bea took months-long road trips, from the Cascade Mountains to the Smokies, up to Mt. Rushmore and down to New Iberia, LA. In the fall of 2010, they traveled to New England to see the explosion of fall foliage, his first vacation during football season.

Billy Joe was an avid gardener. While he moved often, home was where the garden was tended. Tracy and Courtney grew up spoiled on fresh vegetables, homemade pickles and canned goods; the Hill family picante sauce is world renowned in their eyes. With retirement, Billy Joe grew a love for flower gardening as well. His knockout roses earned him accolades, and even in the senior community where he spent his last years, his balcony offered a lush, colorful, flowery escape.

In all, Billy Joe will be remembered as a faithful, Godly man, a role model, a critical thinker and fierce defender of his family. He will be missed for his goofy, sarcastic sense of humor, his competitive spirit — especially against his family at board games — his love of the Houston Astros, impromptu singing, Blue Bell ice cream and dancing with Bea. He held himself and everyone around him to a high standard, but he never once hid his love.

Services for Billy Joe take place on Friday, July 24 at 11:00 am at Callaway-Jones Funeral Home at 3001 S College Ave in Bryan, Texas 77801. Afterwards, the family has reserved a room at Cooper’s Old Time Pit BBQ (3055 Earl Rudder Fwy S, College Station, TX 77845) until 2:30 pm for anyone who’d like to stay and have lunch.