William "Bill" Jay Downing

William “Bill” Jay Downing

Funeral services for Bill Downing will be held Thursday, May 19, 2016 at 2:30 p.m. at Robert Barham Family Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens.

Mr. Downing, age 54, of Meridian passed away Saturday, May 14, 2016 at Anderson Regional Medical Center.

Bill was born in 1962 in Lafayette, Indiana and graduated from Meridian High School in 1980. He graduated from Meridian Community College and attended Mississippi State University. Bill had a diverse career having worked for Taylor Rental, Hughes Aircraft at NAS Meridian, Wayne Rutledge Air Conditioning, Atlas Roofing, VA Clinic, Oak Manor Apartments maintenance, Pine Creek Apartments maintenance and in manufacturing for Coca-Cola machines in DeKalb. He was a master of many trades and enjoyed working on anything from computers to automobiles. Bill was a very social person and never met a stranger. He was a very compassionate person and would do anything for anyone. Bill was an animal lover, rescuing many animals over the years.

Survivors include his daughter, Andrea Kathryn Downing; Andrea’s mother, Mary Alice Kinard; sisters, Diana Downing Van Buren (Charles), Deborah Schultz (Carl), and Janine Graves (Paul); numerous nieces and nephews, Catherine Van Buren, David Schultz, Sarah Schultz, Jessica Graves, Justin Graves, Jayden Graves, and Angel Graves; aunts, Barbara Downing, Judy Kneipple, Florence Irvin, Polly Martin; uncles, John Shaver, Joe Shaver.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William Wayne Downing and Phyllis Jean Downing and an infant brother, John Matthew Downing.

Family and friends may sign the online guestbook at robertbarhamffh.com.

Visitation will be held Thursday, May 19, 2016 from 12:30-2:30 p.m. at the funeral home.