William Julian Ivey, Sr.

William Julian “Bill” Ivey, Sr., 83, of Tucker, GA went to be with his Lord on Thursday, March 10, 2022 at 5:20 pm. He passed away peacefully in his sleep, under hospice care at home, surrounded by the love of his family.

Bill was born in LaGrange, Georgia in 1939, the son of Julian Cannon Ivey and Emily Barnes Ivey. His family relocated to Decatur, Georgia where Bill attended Decatur High School. At Decatur High, Bill received many honors and accolades.  He was selected as Co-Captain of both his high school football and track teams. In his senior year, Bill anchored the Bulldog defense, which shut out all but two of their opponents, and was selected as Honorable Mention on the Greater Atlanta Football team.

He also served as Vice President of the Key Club, and was a member of the Beta Club, Pep Club, D-Group, and Student Council.  In his senior year, he was chosen by his classmates as a “Senior Superlative.”

After graduating from Decatur High, Bill went to Georgia Military School in Milledgeville on a football scholarship.  After his freshman year, he gave up football so he could focus on becoming a CPA.  He transferred to Georgia State University where he earned a degree in Business Administration and passed the CPA exam as soon as he was eligible at age 21. Bill then enlisted in the U.S. Army and served six months of active duty followed by ten years in the U.S. Army Reserves.

After his active duty, Bill worked for twelve years at Trust Company Bank of Georgia, and rose to the position of Controller and Vice President.  He later became a partner in a CPA firm in Tucker, Georgia, where he worked until his retirement. But much more important than his professional achievements was Bill's Christian faith. For more than three decades he was an active member of Rehoboth Baptist Church, where he served as a departmental director, teacher, and member of the church finance committee. For years he devoted countless hours volunteering as a chaplain, working with prison inmates throughout Georgia as part of Highways & Hedges Christian Ministries.

Bill published from a Christian viewpoint in newspapers and magazines across the state of Georgia for several decades and never shied away from putting his actions where his words were.  He once walked from Nashville, Tennessee, to the Georgia capital in Atlanta to encourage awareness of and attendance at the annual Pro-Life Rally where he was a speaker.  Then in his fifties, Bill ran ninety-one miles in twenty-four hours to raise money for a Christian ministry.  Later, in 2016, he wrote and published the book “Know Love - What Is Love For,” in which he shared his walk with Jesus and offered hope to all about God’s love and salvation.  His book included forwards and high accolades from people such as Mary Perdue - former First Lady of Georgia, Evangelist Gloria Gaither, and Pierre Howard - former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia.

Bill is survived by his wife of 39 years, Frances Norton Ivey, his three sons - Bill Ivey Jr., (Jill Ivey), Dallas Ivey, and Jon Michael Ivey, and his daughter, Robyn Roth, (Kevin Roth), as well as his six grandchildren - Dash Ivey, Jane Ivey, Lawson Ivey, Annabelle Ivey, Eliana Roth, and Ephraim Roth.

Funeral services will be held at Decatur Cemetery in downtown Decatur on Sunday, March 20 at 2:15 PM.  A reception will follow at Oak Grove United Methodist Church.