Billy Ralph Edwards

Services for Billy Ralph Edwards, 82, of Tyler will be held on Saturday, November 9, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. at Stewart Family Funeral Home with Rev. Ron Moore and Rev. Joe Cook officiating. Burial will be held on Monday, November 18, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at DFW National Cemetery in Dallas under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home. Mr. Edwards passed away Tuesday, November 5, 2024, in Tyler. He was born March 25, 1942, in Bokchito, OK to Hubert and Minnie Purvis Edwards. Ralph was a longtime member of Green Acres Baptist Church. He graduated from Bokchito High School and joined the United States Army soon after. After serving in Korea, he moved to Dallas where he met the love of his life, Beth. He worked for and owned various trucking companies over the years. He was an avid fisherman and hunter and loved the outdoors. In his retirement, he enjoyed RV’ing with his wife and touring the country, including Colorado, Utah, Maine, Georgia, South Carolina, and Arkansas. Ralph was known for his pride and love for his family and friends. All who knew him felt his love and compassion, especially when he was able to cook or grill for them. He was known for being selfless and for putting others first. He was also lovingly known by his grandkids as “Waf”. Ralph was preceded in death by his father and mother, brothers, Claude Edwards and Lewis Edwards, and sister, Mary Lou Cross. He is survived by his loving family including his wife of 58 years, Beth, daughter Gina Hammack and husband David of McKinney, daughter Melany Porter and husband Steve of Plano, grandson Collin Hammack and wife Morgan, grandson Brady Hammack, grandson Ayden Porter, grandson Jackson Porter, and granddaughter Isabella Porter. He will also be missed by many many cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews as well as neighbors and friends. Visitation is scheduled from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 9, 2024, at Stewart Family Funeral Home, 7525 Old Jacksonville Highway in Tyler. If desired, memorials may be made to Hospice of East Texas, 4111 University Blvd., Tyler, TX 75701 (https://hospiceofeasttexas.org) or the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 6704, Hagerstown, MD 21741 (www.cancer.org). Where there is Hope, there is Faith. Where there is Faith, Miracles happen.

Billy Ralph Edwards

March 25, 1942 - November 5, 2024