Billy Paul Hampton, 84, of Miles City passed in the early morning of January 9, 2020 at Holy Rosary Extended care in Miles City, MT with his loving family by his side.
He was born on July 18, 1935 in Hamilton, Texas, to Paul and Winnie Hampton, where he was raised and attended grade school and high school.
After attending college in TX for a few semesters, the adventurous Billy Paul made his way down to Cuba to work for a while. After returning, he married his college sweetheart Phyllis Thomas in 1957 and worked in Guatemala.
Later, they moved to Fort Worth, TX for a short time, where their first son Paul was born, before moving to Winner, South Dakota. Bill travelled to and worked in Guatemala as a geophysical observer, working on geological mapping, and Prince Patrick Island in the Arctic as a seismologist. Billy always spoke very fondly of his times in these places, where he formed lifelong friendships with Augie and Diana Vogt. He and his family moved to Miles City in the early 60’s, where he remained for the rest of his life. His second son, Will, was born in Miles City.
Billy Paul worked in Bolivia as a seismologist in 1972. Upon returning to Miles City, he worked for various places, including Philco Ford as a seismic instruments calibrator and eventually retired from Montana Power in Colstrip, Montana.
After retirement, he worked for Western Powders part-time for a short period. He lost Phyllis in 1996, and his son Will in 2007. He met a new joy of his life, Mary Lou, and they were married in 2003 until she passed away in 2005.
Billy Paul loved the Montana countryside and its wild landscape. Hunting and fishing were two of his outdoor passions. He was an excellent gunsmith and a craftsman. He enjoyed working on his rifles until his eyesight failed in recent years. He also loved playing golf and hanging out with his friends at the country club.
Horses were also a big passion of Billy’s. With the help of the horse trainer and good friend, Jerry Backlund, he and Don Hartman raised and raced horses in several states from the mid-1970’s to early 1990’s. There were many horses, but two that he was very proud of were 20 Moose, the one that got them started, and Princess Casa. Billy had a lot of stories to tell!
After retiring from Montana Power, he bought a little house in Alba, Texas near a lake, and spent the winter months there with his companion dog, Hoot, fishing in Lake Fork and visiting his family and friends. He migrated down there for many years until his eyesight prevented him from making the drive.
He is survived by his son Paul Hampton and his daughter-in-law Eiko Ozawa of Miles City, his granddaughter Ellie Ozawa, his stepson Brad Lowry of Fishtail, Montana, and his stepdaughter Nicole Sundt of Queen Creek, Arizona.
Billy Paul is preceded in death by his son Will Hampton, his wife Mary Lou Lowry Hampton, his wife Phyllis Thomas Hampton, his older brother Riley Hampton of Fort Worth, Texas, his older sisters Annette Wilson of Tyler, Texas and Gail Brannen of Fort Worth, Texas.
A Celebration of Life party will be held on Sunday, January 19, 2020 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at the Town and Country Club in Miles City, Montana. There will not be a formal service, as Bill requested. Billy Paul wanted all of his friends to come and have a good time, and perhaps share a story or two with the family. Please dress super-casual!
Should friends desire, memorials can be made to a charity of one’s choice.
Words of THANKS from Billy’s family
The family would like to thank all of you for celebrating Billy’s life and sharing your love and memories. We wish we could mention every single name who touched his life. We thank all of you for making Billy happy all these years!
We would like to thank the Holy Rosary Hospital, the hospice staff, and Cottonwood Care Home for all your care and effort. Your kindness and expertise were greatly appreciated.
Joe Donnelly, you spent countless hours, day after day, spending time with Billy. You came to see him after work, on your days off, and whenever you could to make Billy happy for many months. You are the friend everybody would wish to have in their lives!
Bob Lunde, for tirelessly catering to Billy’s requests for this and that. Billy treasured the time you spent in his room, sitting, talking, and watching TV shows with him. He especially loved it when you took him out for a ride so he could smoke a cigar! Eiko still thinks you were the brain behind the chocolate box incident at the hospital (inside joke!!).
Coffee group friends (some of you, we do not know your name but you are just as appreciated), Billy truly loved spending time with all of you in the morning. Thank you Bing, Kelly, Jim, and Bob for driving him to coffee so he could enjoy your company.
Thank you Bing, for driving all the way to Billings during the Thanksgiving week to bring him home from the emergency room during the winter storms!
We thank all of our sweet and caring neighbors, friends and family members for their love, support, and sympathy.
Eiko and Paul would especially like to thank our step brother Brad and step sister Nicole for their love and care for Billy. You took care of Billy for many years after Mary Lou’s passing like he was truly your own dad. Billy loved you guys very much. We thank you for being there!
Service Schedule
Celebration of Life
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Sunday January 19, 2020
Town and Country Club
727 South 4th Street
Miles CIty, Montana 59301
Service Schedule
Celebration of Life
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Sunday January 19, 2020
Town and Country Club
727 South 4th Street
Miles CIty, Montana 59301
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Joe and Cathy Donnelly says
Mr. Bill, my are we going to miss you and your great laugh. All our Friday noon lunch dates and you and Joe’s drives in the country in “the old car” so you could enjoy your cigars and all the cribbage games where you both would try to “out do” each other in the BS department. Got pretty deep some days!! So glad you aren’t suffering anymore and just know that there are many people that will have a void in their life because of you. We love you.
Beth Ann Wiedeman says
Billie’s family. Prayers for you as you grieve the loss of Bill. I enjoyed his laugh and his kind person.
Mike Blumn says
Billy Paul is my wife’s uncle, but he was a Great Friend to me. We met in 1980 & spent lots of hours together hunting in Montana & fishing in Texas through these many years. Our hearts are broken. His older brother, Riley, who we also fished with many times, passed away last month. The family lost both these brothers in a month. They are in our hearts forever.
Nicole Sundt says
Billy Paul was a bright spot in my mother Mary Lou’s life. Because of this he became a bright spot in my brother’s and my life too! He took such good care of our mom and was there for her when she needed it. We are forever grateful to him. I loved every minute I spent with Billy Paul and only wish my visits could have been more often and longer. I always walked away knowing new stories from his life’s adventures and felt like I knew his family and friends personally through them. I know he is at peace now and I am thankful for that! We will miss you Billy Paul!
Jim Schmitz says
RIP, Billy Paul, You really deserve a rest after the last. year or two I’ll miss you friend
Vickie and Dave Gunderson says
Paul, Aiko and Ellie, a great fella is no longer suffering, but has left a big hole in the hearts of a lot of people. Bill and Phyllis were great friends to my parents, and to us. We will fondly remember many good times over the years, whether it be at the horse race track, a shared holiday meal or just fun times spent together. Lots of good memories! Rest in peace, Billy Paul..there must be a grand reunion of family and friends going on in Heaven right now:))
Ike Eichler says
A best friend going back to 1960. We shared many adventures thru out the years and is something I will always cherish. The last couple years were not fun for him but on to the next. See you down the road.
Judy Sprandel says
Knowing Bill was a privilege . He was kind and caring during tough times for Mary Lou and we all appreciated him. He was a friend, funny and always enjoyed our times visiting and having dinner. He will be missed but is at peace. RIP our friend. Ray and Judy Sprandel and family
Charles[John]Jonutis says
Bill a fine man and hunting companion
Robert Vogt says
Bill and my dad, Augie Vogt, had a long friendship that started while they were both in Guatemala in the 1950’s. I met Bill through my dad while on a hunting trip to Montana in the late 70’s. My friendship with Bill started during that hunting trip. It was a friendship that I treasured then and will forever treasure. The hunting trips we shared over the years and all the good times we had chasing deer and antelope, will live on in my memories. Whether it was driving through a “biological desert” having not seen any deer, or putting the “Eichler stalk” on some antelope, there really was never a bad time hunting with Bill. They don’t make many men like Bill anymore, there was no PC, there was just good old BS, or bold truth. I was planning another trip out to Montana to visit and hunt once more, I will have to wait until I see you again friend.
I will miss you very much Bill, and will share many memories with my kids and have several volumes of hunting adventures to look back on with fond memories.
Thank you for all the good times buddy.
Bob Vogt
Joan Flower Rudd says
Phyllis & Paul~ so sorry to hear of your loss. My dad, Jud Flower just passed in December. I hadn’t heard about Will & I’m sure that was tough. Sending my condolences & prayers.
Joan
Ike Eichler says
May have shared too many photos but 60 years of good times/ We never thought then about getting oldMiss you and them