William Donald “Billy” Collins

William Donald “Billy” Collins, son of William Jeffery Collins and Lorna Jeanette Goforth, was born March 18, 1983, in Mountain View, Missouri. He went home to be with the Lord on September 15, 2026, at Eminence, Missouri, following a tragic accident, at the age of 43 years. 

Billy was the loving father of William “Kid” Collins, his oldest child, whom he welcomed with Candi Williams. He later married Mallory Hutcheson, and together they welcomed Madelyn Jeanette “Maddie” Collins and Noah Austin Collins. Billy also lovingly helped raise Landon Chase Kuykendoll as his own. 

Later, Billy married Heather Ann Hahnenberg and became a caring stepfather to her three children, Hannah Leann Judd, Ocean Lee Cates, and Phoenix David Cates. Although Billy and Heather did not have children together, Billy embraced her children with love and treated them as his own family. 

Billy’s children were the center of his world. He loved them endlessly, and they gave his life a deep sense of meaning and purpose. Even through difficult days, they gave him strength and a reason to keep pressing forward. Some of Billy’s happiest times were spent outdoors with his children, hunting and riding four-wheelers together. He also loved picking up his guitar, singing with them, and sharing his love of music with them. Those simple moments with his children meant more to Billy than words could ever fully express. 

Billy spent his younger years in El Dorado, Arkansas, where he was dedicated to the Lord at Norphlet UPC Church when he was nine months old. While living in El Dorado, he developed many of his athletic skills at the Boys Club after school, playing basketball and soccer. From a young age, Billy had a heart for the Lord and a desire to tell others about Jesus. As a little boy, he would stand on the living room coffee table and “preach” to his brother Michael. 

He often said he was going to be a preacher and wanted to pray for people. Billy and Michael shared a closeness that grew into an unbreakable brotherly bond, and Michael remained one of the most important people in Billy’s life. Billy also shared a special brother- and-little-sister bond with his sister. She called to check on him nearly every day, and those simple calls meant more to Billy than she may have ever realized. They were a quiet expression of the unconditional love they shared. Billy had a strong faith even as a child. 

Before his sister was born, he once placed his hand on his mother’s belly and told her that God had told him the baby would be a little girl. 

Through every season of Billy’s life, both the good times and the difficult ones, his mother, Lorna, loved him deeply, prayed faithfully for him, and never gave up on him. Her steadfast love and prayers were a constant in his life, always reminding him that he was loved and that someone continued to believe in him. 

When Billy was twelve years old, the family moved to West Plains, Missouri, where he excelled in football, basketball, and track. He set several school records in track and was an excellent football player. His athletic ability even earned him a six-pack that, according to his family, he was especially proud of. Billy made many friends during those years and was well known and loved by those who knew him. 

Billy was a dedicated member of the Church of God of Prophecy and was studying to go into the ministry. His faith was not simply something Billy talked about; it was a part of the way he lived his life. He loved studying the Bible and had read it from cover to cover many times, always eager to share what he had learned with others. 

One of Billy’s greatest joys was praise and worship music. He absolutely loved picking up his guitar, singing, and worshiping the Lord. Music gave Billy another way to express the faith that had been in his heart since he was a little boy. Whether he was playing and singing in church or simply sitting with a guitar in his hands, praise and worship were deeply personal to him. For Billy, playing his guitar and singing were about more than making music—they were another way for him to praise the Lord he loved and to share that love with the people around him. 

Billy was also a hard worker—strong as an ox—and worked for many years at Crider Brothers Rock Quarry. As a young man, he enjoyed working at Cold Water Ranch, where he served as a trail boss. 

There was never much middle ground with Billy. Whatever he did, he did with his whole heart. He loved being outdoors and enjoyed hunting, fishing, boating, searching for arrowheads, and just about anything that allowed him to be out in nature. He loved riding four- wheelers and motorcycles and seemed to always be buying another one to fix up. Billy enjoyed mechanical work and trading cars and had a natural ability for both—although his wiring skills occasionally gave his family something to tease him about. Billy was also generous with his affection. He rarely saw someone he cared about without telling them he loved them, wrapping them in one of his big hugs, and finding a way to make them laugh while he was at it. 

Billy lived life with passion. Whether he was working, fixing something, enjoying the outdoors, spending time with those he loved, studying his Bible, or sitting with his guitar singing praises to the Lord, he gave it everything he had. Above all, Billy loved the Lord and wanted others to know the same faith that meant so much to him. 

Billy was preceded in death by his father, William Jeffery Collins; his grandmother, Sharon Collins; his grandfather, Donald Goforth; his greatgrandfather, Clifford Goforth; and his great-grandmother, Eloise Barnes. 

He will be deeply missed by his wife, Heather; his children, William of Springfield, Missouri, Maddie, Noah, Landon of Dyersburg , Tennessee, Hannah of West Plains, Missouri, Ocean of Alton, Missouri, and Phoenix of Eminence, Missouri; his mother and stepfather, Lorna and George Kennedy of Eminence, Missouri; his brother, Michael Collins and wife Ashley, and Dawson, Joseph, and Miranda, of Licking, Missouri; his sister, Kelly Wilcox and husband Gus, and McCoy and Goldie, of Summersville, Missouri; his brother, Caleb Collins; his sister, Sharon Collins of South Carolina; his grandmother, Johnnie Lou Mahan of Eminence, Missouri; his grandfather, Howard Collins of Nixa, Missouri; his aunts and uncles, Clayton and Loudonna Mahan of Ridgely, Tennessee, Perry and Delinda Dixon of Houston, Missouri, Seaman Don and Leslie Mahan of Houston, Missouri, and Marth Mahan of Winona, Missouri; along with a host of cousins, extended family members, church family, and friends. 

Billy’s life was one marked by faith, passion, hard work, and a love for people. Though his time here ended far too soon, the faith he shared, the songs he sang, the stories he leaves behind, and the love he gave his family will continue to live on in the hearts of those who knew him. His family takes comfort in knowing that the Lord Billy spent his life singing about, talking about, and serving is the Lord who has now welcomed him home. Funeral services were held at 12:00 PM, Saturday, September 18, 2026 at Bradford Funeral Home with Clayton Mahan, Wayne Crider and Michael Collins officiating. Interment was in the New Eminence Cemetery. Services were under the care of Bradford Funeral Home and online condolences may be left at www.bradfordfuneralhome.net.