William Beddow Stephens, Jr. died Tuesday, Sept. 14, at the Sonny Montgomery V.A. Medical Center in Jackson. He was 51.

William was born June 25, 1970, to the union of his parents, William Beddow Stephens, Sr. and Betty Graham Blair Stephens, in Vicksburg.

He was a 1989 graduate of Warren Central High School.

He served as a forward observer in the United States Marine Corps from 1989 to 1996, where he earned a bronze star for his bravery during Operation Desert Storm. He had a lengthy career in the oil field, working in both the United States and overseas. He recently considered himself semi-retired and was enjoying and living his life to the fullest and he loved making people laugh.

William was an avid scuba diver who loved being in the water, but guns were his passion. A true firearms enthusiast, he loved reloading ammo, target shooting and teaching others how to precision shoot, and he was an expert marksman. He was an outdoorsman who loved taking his dogs, Beau and Bella, on walks daily.

William was preceded in death by his mother, Betty; maternal grandparents, Graham and Ruth Blair and his paternal grandparents, Aubrey, Sr. and Edith Stephens.

Those left to cherish his memory are his father and stepmother, William, Sr. and Shirley Stephens; his fiancé, Sherry Reel; his siblings, Candy Anderson (Steven), Jennifer Nugent (Troy) and Chris Stephens and his nieces and nephews, Turner Williams (Danielle), Maverick Nugent, Cole Anderson, Payton Anderson (Beverly), Harley Robbins (Bret), Candace Nugent and Maddy Anderson.

Funeral services with military honors will be held Friday, Sept. 17 at 11 a.m. in the chapel of Glenwood Funeral Home with Pastors Jim Taylor and Lionel Watts officiating. Interment will follow in the Cedar Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Turner Williams, Maverick Nugent, Cole Anderson, Payton Anderson, David Robertson and Jason Waddell.

Honorary pallbearers will be Scott Womack, Brandon Roberts and the MICU doctors and nurses at the Sonny Montgomery V.A. Medical Center.