Billy Floyd "Bill" Wilbanks

Billy Floyd Wilbanks, known to all as Bill or “Wild Bill,” passed away on March 13, 2026, at his home in Tippah County, surrounded by the place he loved most. Born on June 12, 1962, he was the son of the late Floyd and Irene Sides Wilbanks. A graduate of Ripley High School, Bill carried an outgoing personality and strong-willed spirit that drew people to him throughout his life.

On August 5, 1985, he married Barbara Ann Cullver, who survives him. Together they built a life centered on family, hard work, and the simple joys of everyday living. Bill spent many years with Southern Towing on the riverboats before serving the Town of Blue Mountain and proudly volunteering with the Blue Mountain Fire Department. A faithful member of Mt. View Baptist Church, he found deep peace and happiness in the outdoors—hunting in the woods, fishing along quiet streams, kayaking and camping on the Buffalo River, and later enjoying quiet mornings on his back porch, his “little piece of Heaven,” listening to the radio, watching deer, and sipping coffee.

Outgoing, fun-spirited, and full of life, Bill had a gift for making ordinary moments feel special. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; his son, Bobby Wilbanks (Shauna); his daughter, Cindy Moffitt (Justin); four grandchildren, Kiley and Nathaniel Wilbanks, and Braxton and Alya Moffitt; his great-granddaughter, Faisley Wilbanks; and his sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, extended cousins, and many friends whose lives he touched. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers and sisters.

In the quiet mornings with coffee, the sound of an old song on the radio, or a peaceful evening by the river, his family and friends will remember him and smile, knowing that “Wild Bill” is never far away.