Bill Willoughby

Bill Willoughby, 81, of Clifton, Tennessee, departed this life on Tuesday, November 25, at St. Thomas Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. He was born in Hardin County on September 2, 1944, to the union of his late parents Mr. Andrew Willoughby and Mrs. Annie Garner Willoughby.
Mr. Willoughby being a native of the countryside of Hardin County and Wayne County, grew during his adolescent years, a great appreciation for God’s wondrous creation of nature, animals and farming as well as a deep and abiding love for his community and its people. He was raised with the very moral fabric of Christian values, hard work and family that would forever be his guiding standard throughout life.
Attending school in Hardin County he would graduate from Hardin County High with the Class of 1962. After which he would enroll in his undergraduate studies at Lambeth University in Jackson, Tennessee, earning his bachelorette degree then he would continue his scholastic tenure enrolling at the University of Tennessee at Memphis earning his Doctorate in Pharmaceuticals.
In his young adult life he meet the love of his life, Ms. Patsy Carter and the two would marry on October 23, 1970, forever intertwining their hearts, lives and families. The two would make Clifton, Tennessee, their forever home welcoming three children into their family, raising in the admonition of the Lord as he and his wife are both long-time members of the Green River Baptist Church in Waynesboro, Tennessee, always illustrating the strong Christian values they hold close to their hearts.
Mr. Willoughby, bringing his education and entrepreneurial spirit back to the area he loved, purchased Davis Drug Store in Clifton, Tennessee, in 1967 and renamed it Willoughby Drugs. Mr. Willoughby devoted the next five decades of his professional career serving and caring for the people of the Clifton community and surrounding areas not only as the local pharmacist but also as a city commissioner in which he served several terms.
In his personal life, Mr. Willoughby had a dream of raising his family on a small spread of land so his children would have room to play, grow and have the same appreciation of the outdoors he possessed. Mr. Willoughby made that dream a reality when he purchased a few acres just south of town and moved his family into a single wide trailer. Along with his wife and children, Mr. Willoughby spent the next several years clearing the land with just a chainsaw and manual labor. Mr. Willoughby went on to build his dream home on that property where he and Mrs. Willoughby raised their family and where Mrs. Willoughby still calls home today.
Mr. Willoughby loved to work on the tractor, mow the yard, and work in the basement fixing anything that could still be serviceable. Mr. Willoughby enjoyed his family, his grandchildren, and his church where he served as a Sunday school teacher and Deacon at Green River Baptist.
Mr. Bill Willoughby will always be remembered as a hard-working pharmacist, loving and nurturing family man, and above all a Christian.
Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of over 55 years Patsy Carter Willoughby of Clifton, Tennessee; children Kyle Willoughby (Cassi) of Murfreesboro, Tennessee Keri Newton (Clint) of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, and Kaci Crews (Lance) of Waynesboro, Tennessee grandchildren, Ally Willoughby, Carter Willoughby, Bennet Willoughby, Coleson Crews and Lynie Crews; siblings John Willoughby (Linda) of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, Gene Willoughby (Loretta) of Savannah, Tennessee, and sister-in-law Ann Willoughby of Savannah, Tennessee; as well as several nieces and nephews, family members, church family, friends and dear loved ones.
In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by a sister Doris Young; and brother Dan Willoughby.
Funeral services were held on Saturday, November 29, at Green River Baptist Church, with Cal Hampton and Kerry Franks officiating. Burial followed at Riverside Cemetery.