Funeral services for Billy Ray Marcum, 88, will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, September 20, 2024 at Goldsby Church. Interment will follow at the Washington Cemetery under the direction of the Wilson-Little Funeral Home of Purcell.
Billy Ray Marcum was born September 18, 1935, in Byars, Oklahoma, to Leroy Glenn and Ruth (Freeman) Marcum. Bill peacefully passed in his home on September 15, 2024.
Bill graduated from Washington High School in 1953. On January 21, 1955, he married his best friend and the love of his life, Cherie Ann (Emerson) Marcum. Together, the couple farmed, ran a dairy, raised their three children and started Marcum’s Nursery on the same land on which he was raised. In retirement, he didn’t slow down. He worked diligently day after day tending the pecan grove of over 250 trees he planted behind his house.
Bill loved his family. He adored Cherie, and their strong relationship set the standard for their children. He was the rock for his family as they grieved the loss of Marcia, and he was a devoted partner and tremendous caregiver to Cherie as her health declined. When his sons took over the family business, he continued to mentor and guide them, always their biggest fan and encourager.
He enjoyed spending time with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He had a special connection with each member of his family, he was proud of them, and he made it a point to tell them regularly.
Bill had an entrepreneurial spirit and an incredible work ethic. Bill and Cherie established Marcum’s Nursery at their home in 1975. The business began as a wholesaler of annual hanging baskets and hydroponically grown tomatoes. They opened their original retail location in Goldsby in 1982. When his first grandchild was born, he built a childcare center so his family could work and still be together.
A typical workday for Bill and Cherie included feeding calves, welcoming the first arrivals at the childcare center before heading to their “full-time job” at Marcum’s Nursery, and ending the day with many other farm-related tasks. He was a great nurseryman and was recognized as Nurseryman of the Year by the Oklahoma State Nurserymen’s Association in 1998. Perhaps more importantly, Bill cultivated rich relationships with his Marcum’s Nursery coworkers, vendors and customers, whom he considered as family.
Bill was a pillar in the community. He was a proud supporter of the Washington Warriors, loved watching games from inside the Beller Indoor Facility, and, at the age of 88, he managed to watch away games online. He enjoyed connecting with people and especially savored time with his Althea’s Vault Coffee Crew and the Libby’s Café Crowd. He loved and supported his community, and as a result he was known and loved by so many across multiple generations.
Bill was a man of faith. He first started attending church, not for his love of Jesus, but because he was chasing Cherie. However, he went on to become a Christ follower and a longstanding member of First Baptist Church Washington. In the last years of his life, Bill spent Sunday mornings on his usual pew surrounded by four generations of Marcums. He instilled his Christian values in his family, encouraged them in their faith, and was unashamed to share his love of Jesus.
Bill is preceded in death by his wife, Cherie; his daughter, Marcia Tadlock; his parents, Ruth and Leroy Glenn Marcum; his sisters, Reba Louise Ratliff, Virginia Hall and Joann Owen; and his brother, Leroy.
Bill is survived by two sons, Monty Marcum and wife, Carol, of Goldsby and Kelly Marcum and wife, Jennifer, of Norman; a brother-in-law, Billy Owen; nine grandchildren, Crystal Bacon and husband, Tommy, Monty Glenn Marcum and wife, Cassie, Candace Benson and husband, Ryan, Caitlyn Farrell and husband, John, Grace Anne Harshbarger and husband, Caleb, Maggie Marcum and husband, Tobias Röding, Chloe Ferguson and husband Kyle, Tyler Tadlock and wife, Maddie, and Jake Tadlock; 15 great-grandchildren and one on the way.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Before & After School Care program at First Baptist Church Washington. Donations can be mailed to First Baptist Church Washington, P.O. 86, Washington, OK 73093 or given online at https://fbcwashington.com/give.
Online condolences may be made at www.wilsonlittle.com.