Billy "Bill" E. Burch

Funeral service for Billy "Bill" E. Burch, 88, of Lawton will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Les Banks officiating.  

Mr. Burch passed away on Monday, January 2, 2022 in Burkburnett, Texas. 

Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens. 

Viewing will be held on Sunday, January 8, 2023 from 12:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and with a special viewing and visitation for family and friends from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 8, 2022 and viewing to be held also on Monday, January 9, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.    

Bill was born on April 23, 1934 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. His parents were Fred Lee and Louise (Welborn) Burch. He grew up in Lawton where he attended school, graduating from Lawton High School. He worked at Safeway Grocery Store and this is where he met the love of his life, Ella Jean Strickland. They married on May 24, 1953 in Wichita Falls, Texas. They lived in Lawton where Bill continued with the grocery store for a few years. He also served his country in the National Guard. He then began working for his dad at Burch's Phillips 66 Service Station. He later owned his own service station before returning to Burch's Phillip 66 where he also sold cars. The family moved to Frederick in 1979 where Bill owned and operated Central Automotive. They lived there for over 32 years. Bill and Ella retired to Walters, Oklahoma in 2010. He enjoyed tinkering and restoring old cars and working in his yard. He liked duck hunting and making his own beer. He was a show stopper when he water skied and was the best. The family enjoyed staying at the lake during the summers where Bill was a member of the Lawton Boat Club and he was also a member of Ducks Unlimited. He will be missed by all who knew him. 

He is survived by his wife, of 69 years, Ella Jean Burch, of the home; his daughters and sons in law, Debbie and Dennis Chavez, of Faxon, OK and Tina Burch Lee and Wesley A. Lee, of Walters, OK; his son, Rod Burch, of Lawton, OK; his grandchildren, Bambi Loftin (Billy Karr), Tiffany Escoe, Jonathon Escoe (Brandy Escoe) Megan Bennett, Jessicah Frazier (Denver Frazier), Jake Lee 
(Kacy Lee), Josh Lee (Dana Lee), Laura Spicer (Dustin Spicer), Ridge Miller (Kelsey Ferguson); and his great grandchildren, Presley Loftin (Trevor Hartman), Cooper Loftin, Casen Escoe, Koraline Escoe, Deacon Escoe, and numerous others.   

He was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Louise Burch; and his infant son, Todd Randall Burch.     

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