This is a funeral program for Billy Edward "Tilly" Roach, detailing his life from birth in Selmer, Tennessee, through his athletic career at Benedict College, his 30-year automotive industry career, his fraternity membership in Kappa Alpha Psi, and his family relationships. It includes a personal tribute from his daughter.
This document is a funeral program, also called a Celebration of Life booklet, for Billy Edward "Tilly" Roach. It is intended for family, friends, and community members attending his memorial service on November 8, 2026, at the Pontiac Kappa Center in Pontiac, Michigan.
The program opens with his birth and death dates: May 14, 1941, to August 21, 2026. It describes his early life in Pontiac, Michigan, his attendance at Pontiac High School, and his basketball talent, earning him nicknames like "The Ultimate Leaper from Pontiac" and "The King of the Vertical."
It covers his college basketball career at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, where he was part of the 1961 SIAC Championship team. He and his teammates were inducted into the Benedict College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989. After college, he coached a minor league team that became the Oakland Capparrells, which launched NBA Hall-of-Famer George Gervin.
The program details his 30-year career in the automotive industry, starting at GMC Truck and Coach in 1977 and retiring from General Dynamics in 2007. He worked at the Pontiac Assembly Plant and held roles in manufacturing, supply chain, and process engineering for General Motors, Chrysler, and General Dynamics.
It highlights his membership in Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., joined through the Pontiac Alumni Chapter in 1983 as part of "The Magnificent 7." It also describes his personal interests: golf, fishing, traveling, watching Detroit Lions games (season ticket holder for over 50 years), and making "Billy's Chilli."
The program concludes with family details: his marriages to Alice Goodson Roach and Mary Elizabeth "Liz" Roach, his daughter Sonji Roach, his siblings, and nieces and nephews. A personal letter from his daughter Sonji expresses love and gratitude, ending with the phrase "You will forever be my DIAMOND in the Sky."