LINCOLNTON, GA - Mr. William R. Guillebeau, 79, entered into rest on Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at his residence on Guillebeau Road.

The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 20, 2019 at New Hope Baptist Church with Rev. Ficklen Guin officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery with military honors.

Serving as pallbearers will be William Robert Robinson, Ryan Patrick Bailey, Kyle Joseph DiAngelis, Peyton Patrick DiAngelis, Grayson Lee Ashmore and Andrew Laidler Jones.

The world has lost a unique and brilliant character, most likely because he was seeking a new audience for his stories, historical facts, and general information. William Reese Guillebeau died of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning Wednesday, April 10 at the age of 79 in his Lincolnton, GA home. William (aka Gil, Daddy, Uncle Willie) was born in Lincoln County on August 20, 1939 to Roy Hogan Guillebeau and Sara Reese Banks. After the untimely death of his father, he was raised by his mother and step-father, Peyton Wyatt Banks. He was a proud alumnus of Lincoln County High School. In 1956 he joined the Navy and was on the crew of a Lockheed WV-2 Super Constellation flying out of VW-3 from Midway and Guam on hurricane hunter/early warning missions. In 1964 he joined the Federal Aviation Agency, later the Federal Aviation Administration, as an Air Traffic Control Specialist and later became a licensed pilot. Over the course of his 30+ year career, he served in a variety of positions in towers and flight service stations and as a specialist at Washington headquarters. His final position was Chief of Macon Automated Flight Service Station.

After retirement he and his wife, Satilla (aka Billie) Means Guillebeau, returned to his beloved Lincoln County, where he enjoyed following the football team and tinkering.

William is survived by his wife of 35 years, Satilla, his daughters Talisa (Drew) Jones, Julie Robinson, and Kate (Patrick) DiAngelis; siblings/step siblings Roy & Mary Lou Guillebeau, Wyatt (Mae) Banks, Franklin Banks, and Pat (Ken) Mays, grandchildren Robert, Amber, Ryan, Kyle, Sara, and Peyton, plus seven greatgrandchildren and a multitude of nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents Roy, Sara, and Peyton, his brother Tommy, his stepsister Judy, and his grandson William.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that: 1) if you have any gas appliances in your home, you purchase carbon monoxide detectors or test and put fresh batteries in current detectors OR 2) make a donation in his name to the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, 1750 Radford Blvd., Suite B, Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL 32508 or online at www.NavalAviationFoundation.org.

You may sign the family's online guestbook at: www.reesfuneralhome.net .

Visitation will be from 1 p.m. until the hour of service on Saturday at New Hope Baptist Church.

Rees Funeral Home, 195 N Peachtree St., Lincolnton, GA 706-359-3222 is in care of the arrangements for the Guillebeau family.