Billy Thomas Dees died of heart failure on July 21, 2020 at St. Dominic's Hospital. Billy was the son of Eunice Dees and Lona Veazy Dees of the Liberty Chapel Community in Attala County. Billy grew up in the Liberty Chapel Community. He went to school in Ethel and graduated from Ethel High School. After High School he studied at Nashville Auto Diesel College. He married the love of his life, Linda Alice May on January 10, 1964. In May 1964 they moved to Pickens, MS where he went to work at Milt Paper Mill. After several years he started working in Pickens Oil Field for John W. McGowan where he was a Supervisor over the oil field. In 1982 they bought wells in Yazoo County and he continued to work in Pickens and Tinsley Oil Field. After retirement he went home to work on his farm in Madison County. He loved watching things grow. He especially loved growing tomatoes. He would sell his tomatoes in Deerfield many afternoons during the summer. He was a member of Grace Crossing Baptist Church. He leaves behind his wife Linda Alice May Dees of Canton, MS; daughter, Penny Dees McKinley and her husband Roger McKinley; grandsons, Matthew McKinley and Hunter McKinley; great grandson Caden McKinley and great granddaughter Kennedy Westmoreland; daughter, Linda Roxanne Dees; grandson Brady Vinson and his wife Anna Grace; great granddaughters, Evelyn Ruth Vinson and Amelia Grace Vinson and grandson, Austin McCorkle; son, Paul Thomas Dees and fiancee Brandi Carter; sister, Brenda Parkman of Fayetteville, NC; niece, Holly Parkman, nephew Chad Parkman; brother, Marvin Dees and his wife Carolyn of Ethel and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Eunice Dees, mother Lona Veazy Dees and grandson Benjamin Dale McKinley. A graveside service will be conducted Thursday July 23, 2020 at 3:00pm at Natchez Trace Memorial Park Cemetery.