Billy Lynn Gilkey, age 81, of Clarksville, TN, passed away on October 16, 2022. He was born on January 30, 1941, in Nortonville, KY, and was the son of the late James and Elenora Gilkey.
Billy attended Christian County High School and later graduated from Austin Peay State University with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture. After graduating college and marrying his wife, he served in the Peace Corps in India and worked with the Agricultural Corps program in Mandsaur from 1966-68. After returning from India, Billy taught middle school and coached basketball in St. Charles, KY. He also worked for Kraft Foods as a Dairy Farm Specialist. Billy then founded Gilkey Realtors, Inc., where he was a broker agent for 40 years.
From a young age, Billy worked on the family farm in Durgin, KY. He loved his family deeply and enjoyed spending free time with them and his friends, being especially proud of his children and grandson. He was an avid APSU basketball fan, frequently attending games with his wife. His favorite activity aside from basketball was fishing with his son and grandson, and also his friend, Earnest Smith, who commented that Billy was the best fisherman he ever knew. He even had a fishing motto, which encapsulates his character: “When the fish are biting, do you want my pole?”
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Sandra E. Moore Gilkey; children Manesha Lynn Gilkey and Kip Chaa Gilkey; siblings Joy (Robert) Wilson, Maybeth (Mike) Smith, and Allen Wayne (Vicki) Gilkey; grandson, Dylan James Gilkey; as well as several nieces and nephews.
The family will hold a Celebration of Life service at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 29, 2022, at The Gilkey Farm, located at 433 Mobley Rd., Clarksville, TN.
*Please contact Kip Gilkey at (931) 278-6212 if you plan to attend.