Billy Joe "Peanut Brittle Bill" Shaddix's Obituary
Billy Joe “Peanut Brittle Bill” Shaddix, of Longview, TX, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2017 after a brief illness with brain cancer. He was 84.
Bill was born on February 26, 1933 in Pittsburg, TX to Burton and Clovis Shaddix. He grew up in Ebenezer Community, TX and graduated from Pittsburg High School in 1949. After high school, he worked for the local sawmill, then joined the Army and learned welding while serving for three years during the Korean War. Upon honorable discharge, Bill worked all over the United States as a cross-country pipeline welder for the oil and gas industry. He married Bernice Stevens in 1957 and they were married for 7 years. Bill then began working in the offshore pipeline industry for Brown & Root Industrial Services, and was based out of New Orleans, LA. It was here that he met the love of his life, Sandra Jeanne Dennis.
Billy Joe married Sandra in 1968 and they were happily married for 47 years. In 1979, they moved from New Orleans to Longview, TX. Bill continued his work with Brown & Root, and also worked for Eastman Kodak. He retired in 1988, but returned to work in 1990 for OPI in the UAE and India. Bill retired again in 1992 and became, as he put it, “domesticated.” His many hobbies included gardening, golf, fishing and spending time at his lake house on Lake-o’-the-Pines, cooking, helping Sandra with her in-home childcare business and watching his beloved Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers. All of these hobbies were eclipsed after Bill saw a microwave peanut brittle recipe in the local paper. He tried it out then “tweaked and experimented” to develop his own secret recipe. He became “Peanut Brittle Bill” and saw a potential customer in everyone he met! The crowning achievement for Bill’s Brittle was being the featured story on KYTX CBS 19’s morning show just this past July. Bill’s charming and outgoing personality, as well as his delicious peanut brittle, will be greatly missed.
Bill is survived by sons Keith Shaddix of Amory, MS and Ed Shaddix of Dallas, TX; daughters Suzanne Shaddix Cox and husband John of Oxford, MS, Shawn Shaddix Reed and husband Matthew of Albuquerque, NM and Shelley Shaddix Honea of Longview, TX; grandchildren Lainie, Lindsey and Ben Reed of Albuquerque, NM, Preston and Paxton Honea of Longview, TX and Aiden Crowder of Dallas, TX; nieces Patti Tiemann-Fields and husband Ken of Kansas City, MO and Toni Mitchell and husband Chris of Little Elm, TX, as well as many close friends and relatives. His wife, Sandra and son Bobby Joe “Joey” Shaddix preceded Bill in death.
A memorial service and celebration of Billy Joe’s life will be held at Rader Funeral Home in Longview, TX on September 9, 2017 at 2pm. Interment of both Billy Joe and Sandra’s cremains will take place at Rosewood Park Cemetery following the service.
The family wishes to thank Arabella of Longview, Heart to Heart Hospice, and all of his wonderful caregivers for their support, concern and excellent care. A special heartfelt thanks to Maegan Brown, Kim Mullins and Lori Smith for making it possible for Dad to live out his last moments in the home that he loved.
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