Billy Hobbs Webster, 91, Chattanooga native, died Friday, May 18, 2001.
He was the son of Samuel David and Zerelda Mimms (n. Ellis) Webster. He was a descendant of the First Families of Tennessee with Revolutionary War ancestors. He married Louise Carroll and is survived by a daughter, Nancy Louise, wife of Rajive K. Diwan, and granddaughter, Christine Rajina and several cousins.
He was versatile and worked many jobs throughout his lifespan. He supervised the turntable for 10 years with the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railroad and traveled by rail to every big-league baseball park to witness Ruth, Sisler, Gehrig, Hornsby et al., play. As amateur ballplayer, he played first baseman and perfected the short hop.
He had been employed at Chattanooga Knitting Mill during the Depression, delivered papers for Chattanooga News (owned by George Fort Milton), Chickamauga Knitting Mill, Casey Hedges Boiler Co., which became Combustion Engineering Co., Dixie Mercerizing Co., Central Franklin and then went into security at ADT for 28 years, 3M for 33 years and Wells Fargo.
Billy traveled to Canada, England and France. He was a great historian and saw Presidents Coolidge, Roosevelt (deliver a speech at Chickamauga Dam) and Nixon. He witnessed history seeing Johnny Green, a bicycle show owner, when he built and flew the first airplane over Chattanooga.
He became a member and Sunday school teacher of Union Congregational Church in 1932 and joined Pilgrim Congregational Church in 1944. He belonged to the Masonic Order.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Pilgrim Congregational Church with Dr. John Mingus officiating.
Entombment will be in Hamilton Memorial Gardens.
The family will receive friends from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. today at the East Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home.
The body will lie in state 1-2 p.m. Sunday at the church.