By The People’s Paper MS Staff
MENDENHALL, Miss. — Billy Herbert Blair, 74, and Virginia Carol Barnett Blair, 71, of Mendenhall, entered into the presence of the Lord together on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at their home.
Family members on the Colonel Chapel website say the couple, known lovingly as Mom and Dad, Uncle Billy and Aunt Carol, and most tenderly as Mimi and PopPop, lived nearly 53 years of marriage side by side and left this life the same way they lived it together in faith.
Billy was born June 1, 1952, in Magee, and Carol was born Jan. 18, 1955, in Jackson. They grew up in the Pinola and Oak Grove communities, where church and school first brought them together. What began as childhood friendship in the halls of Pinola schools eventually grew into love.
The couple married July 28, 1973, at Oak Grove Baptist Church. They began their life together in a home built on the same land where their family home still stands today. There, they raised their two children, Misty and DeJay, in a household centered on faith.
Across Simpson County, the Blairs were best known through Magee Tire and Service, the business they built together. Billy worked in the shop repairing vehicles, while Carol managed the books and, as family joked, “kept Billy in line.”
For the Blairs, the shop was more than a business. Family members say it served as a ministry where they treated every customer with kindness, honesty and what they described as the love of Christ.
They were active members of New Hebron Baptist Church. Billy served on the church security team and often led Sunday school lessons. Carol served as church pianist for 30 years, a role that family says reflected both her faith and her gift for music.
Music came naturally to Carol, and she used it each week to lead worship from the piano bench, never for recognition but as an offering of service, family members said.
Billy stayed busy throughout his life. He raised cattle, worked with his hands and could fix nearly anything placed in front of him. He especially enjoyed restoring old tractors and spending time with his 1972 Ford Mustang.
He also found joy in woodworking, often turning simple pieces of wood into handcrafted items he gave away to others. Family members said his work reflected his faith, saying he believed God takes what is broken and shapes it into something new.
At home, the couple shared simple routines: tending their garden, working puzzles, reading Scripture and caring for their 20-year-old blind horse, Rusty. Above all, they were known for their commitment to family and rarely missed a game, recital or milestone.
Carol spent much of her time in the kitchen, where she was known for homemade chicken and dumplings, biscuits, sausage balls and chicken salad. Family members said some of their most cherished memories were made beside her at the kitchen table.
Visitation will be held Friday, June 12, 2026, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Colonial Chapel Funeral Home in Magee. Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 13, at 10 a.m. at New Hebron Baptist Church, with doors opening at 9:30 a.m. Burial will follow at Stonewall Baptist Church Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Newhebron Baptist Church Building Fund or Stonewall Cemetery Fund.
The family invites friends to share memories or tributes by email at dblair268@gmail.com and mistyhanna3910@gmail.com.
Family members said Billy and Carol’s faith shaped every part of their lives and that their greatest desire would be for others to know the same hope they lived by.
“‘Well done, good and faithful servant,’” Matthew 25:21.
More information can be found on https://www.colonialchapelmageemendenhall.com/obituaries/billy-and-carol-blair.
