A celebration of life was held this past Sunday, July 6th 2025 for Billy Don Utchman Age 81 of West Plains.
He was born in Gamaliel, Arkansas, son of Everett & Bertha (Walker) Uchtman.
Billy Don proudly served our country in the United States Army, starting his military career in 1965. Then after he entered the civilian world, he spent many years working on the oil rigs in Louisiana as a Supervisor.
He met his soulmate, Mary, when he picked her up on the side of the road. He rode in the back of the El Camino so she could sit in the front. This was the beginning of a lifetime of love. He is survived by his loving wife, Mary, of 38 years of marriage.
Billy Don’s family has so many fond memories they wanted to share, each one a little piece of who he was. He loved to read, especially the Bible and any Louis L’Amour western he could get his hands on. He enjoyed watching a good western, too, and always lived by his favorite saying: “Live life to the fullest because it is short.” He loved fishing, hunting, tinkering with just about anything, and going to auctions. He was always up for a game of Yahtzee or a silly round of “1, 2, 3—heads under the covers!” If he ever had to change a dirty diaper, it was straight to the shower—gagging the whole way.
His grandkids filled his world with joy, and he gave them memories that will last forever. Hannah loved riding in the back of his old pickup to bottle-feed calves. One year, he let the grandkids pick out a calf, and Hannah thought it was her pet. Every time she visited, she’d feed “her cow”—until one day Grandpa brought it back, packaged for the freezer. She was mortified, and he thought it was the funniest thing ever. Cheyenne remembers one trip to feed the calves with Ciara and Hollis in the back of Grandpa’s tiny old truck. By the time they arrived, Hollis had eaten half the bucket of feed, and Grandpa just laughed until he cried. Cheyenne still says he always drove trucks way too small for someone his size—like Mr. Incredible in disguise. Billy once said if you’d ever seen him, his dad, and Ev packed into his old Datsun pickup, you’d never forget it—especially since whoever sat in the middle had to shift gears for the driver!
Ev joked that the grandkids should’ve tried herding a loose calf or hog back into a pen with Grandpa—it wasn’t an easy task! And while Billy Don could face just about anything, he had one big fear: fuzzy peaches. Just saying the words made him gag, and his boys never passed up a chance to toss one his way in the grocery store. If he ever lost a tool, he didn’t hesitate to blame it on “Mommy.”
Hollis loved going “honky tonkin’” in Caulfield with Grandpa—especially since Grandpa let him cuss during those rides. Anytime the grandkids saw a Dr Thunder or a pecan log, they thought of him. He refused to order food through a drive-thru—what he called a “squawk box”—but when he did, he might order a “grape flush” and give detailed instructions on how to make a perfect ice cream cone.
His playful spirit never faded. One of his favorite recent pranks was hiding a life-sized Santa Claus in the bathroom at the nursing home. He’d ask a nurse to grab something from the bathroom just to hear them scream when they opened the door. Ciara always loved sitting on his lap at the supper table because he’d sneak her vegetables off her plate so she could pretend she ate them. He probably watched more SpongeBob and Dora the Explorer than any other grown man, and he still loved to chant “backpack, backpack” with Ciara years later. Charleigh adored playing “mouse” in the kitchen with “Old Grandpa” as a fun way to get her to eat. He always kept those orange circus peanuts on hand for the grandkids—though none of them liked them!
Sami and Hannah remembered helping him roll cigarettes while sitting on his lap and then playing in the sawdust pile, though he always warned them not to let it get too hot or it might catch fire. He tried to teach Angel to drive once, and it was the only time in her 33 years he ever got truly cross with her—unless you count the time she was mean to her sister and he threatened to make her pick out her own switch.
Billy Don loved taking his kids and grandkids to see where he grew up and telling them stories about the past. And if you ever told him, “I love you,” he’d always smile and say, “I love you more.” More than anything, he loved his family deeply. He adored his grandkids and took great joy in making them laugh. He was always cracking jokes, being ornery, and showing them just how much he cared. And no matter what they did, the grandkids were perfect in his eyes—they could never do any wrong.
He is survived by his huge family and a beautiful legacy he has left behind to share fond memories of him and pass on his knowledge he shared with them. First his wife, Mary, of 38 years of the family home, sister, Marvene Copeland of Pleasant Hill, MO; children; Wesley (Daylene) Cotter of Lemoore, CA, Everett (Rachel) Uchtman of Gassville, AR, Billy (Dana) Uchtman of Gassville, AR, Meranda Uchtman of West Plains, MO, Angela (Jacob) Deckard of West Plains, MO; Grandchildren; Chris Jones of Colorado Springs, CO, Angel Uchtman (Tony) of Dolph, AR, Samantha Gilley (Paige) of Gassville, AR, Leeann Uchtman of Fayetteville, AR, Levi Uchtman of Gassville, AR, Madison Beard of Yellville, AR, Hannah Uchtman (Joe) of Killeen, TX, Gracie Uchtman of Gassville, AR, Cheyenne Webb (Jeff) of Caulfield, MO, Ciara Deckard of West Plains, MO, Hollis Deckard of West Plains, MO, Great Grandchildren; Charleigh, Marci, Parker, Riley, Lydia, JayLynn, Daxton, and Koen. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews, including a special nephew, Kenny Uchtman, who was like a son to him.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, and six brothers.
Remember all the good times and the laughter and love he shared. Billy Don wouldn’t want to be remembered any other way.
Arrangements were conducted by Always Faithful Memorial Services, of West Plains, MO.
