William M. Watkins (Bill) was born on March 14, 1950 to Henry Vaughan Watkins and Frances Tapley Watkins in Jackson, Mississippi. He passed away Thursday, September 8, 2022 at St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson.

Bill grew up in Jackson and was a graduate from Madison Ridgeland High School in 1968 and president of his class.   Bill was well thought of and was voted Most Likely to Succeed and Most Handsome.

He attended the University of Mississippi where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and served on the Inter-Fraternity Council.  While a student at Ole Miss, he had the opportunity to watch Archie Manning play in his first football game. He then served in the Air Force from 1975 – 1977.  His love and passion for flying began early.  His first solo flight was on his sixteenth birthday.  He later flew William Winter during his campaign for governor.  He was an avid pilot and flew his brother to Jackson Hole, WY with much precision navigating through the mountains with peaks of  14,000 feet.

He worked as a petroleum land man in the oil industry for forty years.

He enjoyed fellowship and comradery with his friends and family. Many good memories were made while hunting and fishing at Buck Track at Eagle Lake, Ms. and Mule Jail.  Bill loved telling stories and sharing memorabilia with everyone he met.

Bill was married to Reba Bray Watkins of 32 years and referred to her as his "inamorata". They made their home in Madison, Ms. They have one son, William Bray Watkins who was Bill's pride and joy. He was a member of Ridgecrest Baptist Church.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents and his sister Frances Bethany Culley and brother-in-law, Lewis Culley, Jr., and step-sister Rita Walker McMain.

He is survived by his wife, Reba Bray Watkins, and their son, William Bray Watkins of Madison, Ms. He is also survived by his brother Henry Vaughan Watkins, Jr. (Mary) and his step-brother, Benjamin Newton Walker, III, step-sisters, Sylvia Walker Waterton,  Gwen Walker Johnson and Cindy Walker Stroud. He is also survived by his brother-in-law J. Barry Bray (Nancy), brother-in-law, Richard L. Bray (Dianna) his nieces and nephews, Bethany Culley McGehee (Mike), Lewis Leron Culley, III (Brooke), Debbie Watkins Jarman (Frank), Teri Watkins Mcgehee, (Scott), Angela Watkins Alper (Scott), Richard Kade Bray (Kristen), Anna Fails (Anthony), Jessica Bray Perry (Dan), and James Travers Bray.

Visitation will be held on Monday, September 12, 2022 from 12:00pm - 2:00pm at Wright & Ferguson Funeral Home in Flowood. A Celebration of Bill's life will follow at 2pm in the funeral home chapel.