Mr. Billy Ray Chance, 80, of Opelika, passed away November 12th at his residence. Funeral services will be 11:00am, Saturday, November 16th at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home Chapel, with visitation 6:00pm until 8:00pm, Friday, November 15th. Burial will be in Garden Hills Cemetery.
Mr. Chance was preceded in death by his son Billy Ray Chance Jr.; mother Vera Chance; father Milton Chance; brothers: Wayne Chance, Bernard Chance; and wife Shirley Waller Chance.
He is survived by his wife: Geraldine Quinton Chance; daughters: Connie Chance Smith (Ronald) of Ormond Beach, Florida, Beverly Chance Rowell (Greg) of Melbourne, Florida; grandchildren: Sarah Smith Underwood (Ryan) of Savannah, Georgia, Aaron Smith of Ormond Beach, Florida, Asheton Rowell of Melbourne, Florida; and by a number of beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Billy Ray Chance was a lifelong resident of Opelika, Alabama. He was a member of Lakeview Baptist Church where he served in the Carpenter’s for Christ Ministry, and was instrumental in founding a Laotian Children’s Ministry with his late wife Shirley Waller Chance.
He was also a past member of the Lion’s Club of Opelika, and a member of the Morning Roundtable at Susie K’s. As a young man he played farm league baseball and was an avid lifelong Atlanta Braves fan as well as an Auburn Tigers fan.
He is also known as “Uncle Bill” to many biological children as well as non-biological children throughout the Auburn Opelika area.
Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home and Crematory directing.