Billy Joe Barbo passed away in McKinney, Texas, on February 21, 2026, at the age of 94. While we mourn his passing, we rejoice in his heavenly reunion with his beloved wife of 69 years, Christine, as they are both in the presence of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Billy was known as Dad to his children; Bill or Billy to his many friends; and Granddad and Da to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Billy was born on June 28, 1931, to his parents, Carl and Alice Louise Y’Barbo, in Chireno (Nacogdoches County), Texas. He was reared by his mother and his loving “Uncle Bill” (William Taylor Y’Barbo) in the Nacogdoches area. Billy spent his young years hunting, fishing, and roaming the woods of East Texas. He eventually moved to Wichita Falls, where he attended Midwestern University and began his career at Southwestern Bell Telephone Company.
Billy met his future wife, Christine (aka Chris and Meme), in 1951 while both worked for Southwestern Bell. However, their romance was interrupted when Billy was drafted to serve in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. He proposed to Christine prior to shipping out to Germany, where he was stationed at USAG Wiesbaden/Mainz, Germany. He served in the 2nd Armored Division, “Hell on Wheels,” as a radio operator. After serving two years overseas, and upon his return to the States, they married on February 11, 1955, at a home wedding in Archer City, Texas. Thus began their adventure of a wonderful marriage spanning a mere 69 years.
After living in various Texas towns, including Wichita Falls, Hillsboro, and Denison, they settled permanently in McKinney in 1962. Their children, Pamelia Renea “Pam”, born in 1961, and Billy Joe, Jr. “Joe” or “Joey”, born in 1962, arrived while they lived in Wichita Falls. Gary Don “Don” was born in 1964 in McKinney.
Billy was a very dedicated and loyal employee and worked as a design engineer for Southwestern Bell for 41 years, where he focused his efforts on bringing telephone service to the booming Collin County area. Billy was a proud retiree of “Ma Bell,” which was his one and only employer over his career.
Billy and Chris were also active members of First Baptist Church McKinney for over 60 years, where he served as a deacon, and they both served as Sunday School teachers.
Billy loved being with his family and being outdoors. Family summer vacations spanned camping trips to various states and national parks (including every single state capital along the way) and wonderful trips to East Texas and Sam Rayburn Lake, with lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins involved. They hosted their family holidays and birthdays at their wonderful country home, which they built in 1978 and where they lived for 43 years before moving into assisted living in 2022. Billy began every meal with a heartfelt prayer and a “preamble” expressing his love and appreciation for everyone gathered at the table.
Billy and Chris made a very effective team and pretty much did everything together, including attending church, commuting back and forth to work, traveling and vacationing, square-dancing, and attending their kids’, grandkids’, and great-grandkids’ sporting events, graduations, baptisms, and other activities. While Billy was a very active gardener, Chris hustled to keep up with cooking, freezing, and canning the harvest.
Billy is survived by his three children: Pam Reynolds and husband, Rodney, of McKinney; Joe Barbo of Telephone; and Don Barbo and wife, Judy, of Coppell. He is also survived by his sisters, Alice Ann “Ann” Schmidt; Margaret Loggins; Jean Loggins and husband, James, all of Lufkin; and Sharon Noel and husband, Dan, of Zavalla; and a brother, Rayford Y’Barbo and his wife, Susan, of Pasadena, Texas.
He is also survived by his grandchildren: Chad Reynolds and wife, Tressa, of McKinney; Ryan Thompson of Anna; Joseph and Colton Barbo of Cameron; Lauren Hruby and husband, Nate, of Dallas; and Jordan Barbo and wife, Ashlyn, of Dallas.
In addition to his six grandchildren, Billy is also survived by four great-grandchildren: Tayton Miller, Bailey Thompson, Aubrey Reynolds, and Reeder Hruby.
Billy was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Virginia Christine Barbo. He was also preceded by both of his parents, Carl Y’Barbo and Alice Louise Y’Barbo; his brother, Allen Clyde Y’Barbo; his sister, Dorothy J. Sheddan; and brothers-in-law, Orren Schmidt, Gene Sheddan, and Allen Loggins.
Pallbearers will be Joe Barbo, Don Barbo, Jordan Barbo, Rodney Reynolds, Chad Reynolds, Tayton Miller, and Nate Hruby.
A funeral service will be held on Sunday, March 1, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas 75013. Interment will be held at Ridgeview Memorial Park following the service. The service will also be live streamed at TJMfuneral.com on Billy’s obituary page by clicking on the following link: https://celebrationoflife.tv/blog/billy-joe-barbo.
The family will receive friends during a visitation on Saturday evening from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to support the First Baptist Church of McKinney Children’s Ministries in memory of Billy and Christine Barbo at www.firstmckinney.com or 972-542-0041.