William McCoy

William Robert "Bill" McCoy died August 13, 2025. He was the oldest son of Joseph T.

and Dorothy Renner McCoy. He was also preceded in death by a sister, Mildred Hale of

Savannah, Georgia.

He was born in the family farmhouse "in the field" in the Red Hill-Flint Springs

Community on June 16, 1935. Apart from duty spent in the U.S. Army SCAWAF

division, his entire 90 years of life were spent on this farm. At the age of 4, he was tilling

the fields with a team of mules. As a youngster he picked cotton and watched military

gliders enroute to Europe in preparation for D-Day, slaughtered hogs, cared for livestock

and worked the fields. He shared vivid memories of electricity coming to Flint Springs,

and the building of Dalton Pike and Red Hill Road. Told stories of time spent in the army

including attending a Johnny Cash concert at the Cowtown Hoedown in Texas with an

opening act by a youngster named Elvis Presley, and tales of driving a truck delivering

chicks to farms in the tri-state area. Many hours were spent at the side of his

grandfather W.A. Renner, and he loved telling tales of their adventures. His memories

and his storytelling will be sorely missed.

Bill was nicknamed "Wheelix" by his father because he was the lover of all things that

moved, and he was an engineer at heart, using what he had to make things work. He

and his wife, Mary Ellen, owned and operated Red Bud Dairy Farm, which they

purchased from his parents and was previously owned by both his maternal and

paternal grandparents. He and Mary Ellen retired from and closed the dairy in 1999.

He attended Flint Springs School but always regretted not earning his diploma at

Bradley High School. At the age of 75, after retirement, he attended the GED program

at Cleveland State and earned his diploma. Bill worked as a greeter at Wal-Mart for

eight years after retiring from farming.

Billy, as he was known to many, was a member of the Flint Springs Ruritan Club, Farm

Bureau, Bradley Farmer's Co-op and Production Credit Association.

A lover of nature, dogs and banjo music, especially played by Ricky Skaggs. Bill also

loved talking to his brothers for hours at a time about anything and everything. He

cherished his family and never ceased worrying about each and every member.

Survivors are his wife of 66 years, Mary Ellen Still McCoy, children William R. "Bob"

McCoy II, Kathy (Danny) Davis and Susan (Bill) Davidson of the Flint Springs

Community and Timothy of Lucerne, Switzerland. Grandsons Tyler (Jessi) Smith of

Paris, Tennessee, and Turner McCoy Davidson and Parker Vasco Davidson of Flint

Springs, Tennessee. Granddaughter Kelsey (Jeremy) Kinslow of Smith's Grove,

Kentucky. Great-Grandchildren Mccoy Kinslow and Lila Grace and Ada Belle Smith and

a great-grandson due in January.

Surviving siblings Helen Dixon and Joe (Ruth) McCoy of Cleveland, Linda (Reani)

Mattox of Munford, Alabama. Dwight (Khathee) McCoy of Darby, Montana. Many

nieces, nephews and cousins also survive.

No services are scheduled at this time. Donations may be made to the History Branch

of the Cleveland Public Library.