William W "Billy" Ogden II, 92 years of age, passed away at his home in Sulligent Alabama, on May 25, 2021.

Mr. Billy, as he was known by those who loved him, passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family and friends.   Sulligent has lost a pillar to our community with the passing of Mr. Ogden.

Mr. Billy attended Sulligent Elementary through the 6 ^th grade and Sulligent High through the 10 ^th grade and then attended the Georgia Military Academy (now Woodward Academy, College Park, GA) where he graduated in 1947.   After graduation, Billy attended The University of Alabama where he studied Engineering and was a proud member of the Gamma Alpha chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.

In 1950, Mr. Ogden volunteered for the US Army and served as a 2 ^nd lieutenant in the Korean War.

After his service to our country, Billy returned home to Sulligent to become involved with the family business, community affairs and friends.  His love for his communities, employees, friends and our country were evident and admired by all who knew him. a gentle soul that loved all that surrounded him.

Over the years, his contributions to our community were invaluable and were generally behind the scenes.  Mr. Billy was never one that was much for show, and rarely asked for the credit for things he did or said.

One of his proudest accomplishments was helping persuade the Hyster Company to locate in Sulligent.

Mr. Billy took the Sulligent Cotton Oil Company through the end of the cotton era. He changed the focus of the company and in doing so helped change and adapt our community and county to transition into the forestry industry, land management, hunting, and modern farming practice all of which persist to this day.  He oversaw the building of Sulligent Lake providing a natural treasure to the community and is one of his most enduring legacies.  He began planting trees in the 1970s and has since followed the trends of the industry, adapting many times to keep a viable family-owned farm operating successfully so that it could thrive and continue growing into the future.

As an avid businessman and community leader, Mr. Billy never forgot his roots or his family and friends.  Anyone that needed advice, a history lesson, or wanted to know anything, could just ask Mr. Billy. He loved to talk about cars, engines, machinery, aviation, equipment, engineering, or basically any other unusual fact, and he kept an ample supply of magazines on each topic. His door was open to all, and they were sure to get the right answer from Mr. Ogden.

Mr. Billy enjoyed so much in life, but his hobbies included: flying small planes, cars, farming, golf, his community, his church, and most importantly his family and friends.

William W. Ogden II, married Patricia Sue "Pat" Mathews on September 13, 1970.

He is survived by his wife Pat Ogden, two children, William W "Trip" Ogden III (Helen) of Madison, AL and Leila Teresa "Terri" Ogden (Scott) of Aberdeen, MS, four grandchildren, Patricia Blake Wheeler, Kate Mathews Wheeler, Penny Elizabeth Ogden, and Robert Thompson and a sister Tallulah Ogden Hargrove, of Mountain Brook, AL.  He was preceded in death by his father Hosea Toliver Ogden, his mother Elizabeth Jones Ogden and a grandson Wil Thompson.

Services for Mr. Ogden will be Friday, May 28, 2021 at First United Methodist Church, Aberdeen, MS

at 2:00 pm with visitation starting at 12:30 until service time. Burial will follow at Sulligent City Cemetery, Sulligent, AL at 3:30 pm. Pallbearers will be Matthew Gilmore, Billy Maddox, Scott Wheeler, Tommy Price, Louis Coleman, Gus Jones, Greg Miller, David Somers, and Frank Herndon. Honorary Pallbearers are the Methodist Men's Sunday School Class, All current and former employees of Ogden Management, Beaver Creek Pole and Timber, West Alabama Ford and Napa Auto Parts, and Mr Billy's "Old Golfing Group"

In lieu of flowers, please make memorials to First United Methodist Church, Aberdeen, MS, Oak Hill Academy Education Foundation, Boy Scout Troop 39 via Methodist Men, and Sulligent Chamber of Commerce.

Condolences and special memories may be shared with the family at: www.ottsfuneralhome.net

Otts Funeral Home

Sulligent, AL, Directing