Funeral services for William Bryant Bickerstaff, 53, of Chickasha will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 30, 2022 in the Grand Assembly of God Church.
William “Bryant” Bickerstaff was born January 11, 1969 in Chickasha, Oklahoma to Charles “Henry” Bickerstaff and Orella Sue (Christian) Bickerstaff. He passed from this life on Sunday, July 24, 2022 in Chickasha, Oklahoma.
Bryant grew up in Ninnekah and graduated from Ninnekah High School in 1987. During high school, he played baseball, basketball and was very involved in FFA, showing livestock.
He moved to Waxahachie, Texas and attended Southwest Assembly of God University, graduating with a Bachelor Degree majoring in business and minoring in pastoral ministries. There he met the love of his life, Tamra Gaylyn Ray and they were married on July 28, 1990 in Red Oak, Texas. He served as a 2 nd Lieutenant with the Air Force Auxiliary, also known as the Civil Air Patrol. Later he earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with the University of Phoenix.
Over the years, he worked at several fabrication locations as a machinist, taught machine shop at Canadian Valley Technology Center, worked with his dad at H & B Machinery, and was employed at Aggreko for 7 years. He owned and operated Bickerstaff Machinery, while raising his family and working on his degrees. Bryant also owned and operated a ranch when he wasn’t working.
He had been an inner-city children’s pastor in Dallas and Chicago. He loved the Lord and working in ministry, traveling on mission trips to Aruba, Haiti, and Mexico. He was a member of Grand Assembly of God Church.
Bryant loved hard, worked hard and familied hard. A close friend remembers him as “The most driven man I’ve ever known. He had a character to know and do things, making them better.” He had a plan for everything and was always thinking of ways of improvement and could grow and build anything. He was committed to his kids, work and family and his desire was to be a good example to all.
He was preceded in death by his father Henry Bickerstaff and his grandparents Connie Bickerstaff, Florence Grace Bryant and Bonnie Blue Mayo.
He leaves behind his wife Tamra Bickerstaff of the home; mother Orella Bickerstaff; children and spouses Jacquelyn Bickerstaff, Jana Bickerstaff, Alison and Russell Jobe, Madison and Kelsey Jones, Levi Bickerstaff, Gracen Bickerstaff, Benjamin Bickerstaff and Raylyn Bickerstaff; grandchildren Tobie Bickerstaff, Charlotte Bickerstaff and Kai Jones; siblings and spouses Terry and Jack Gillespie and Brandan and Lori Bickerstaff; father-in-law and mother-in-law Howard and Barbara Ray; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law William Ray, Sherri and Kevin Chesney, Brian and Katie Ray, and Dirk Webb; and other extended family and friends.
Services and cremation arrangements are under the direction of Ferguson Funeral Home,