Bill Wells

Bill Wells passed away April 9, 2024.  Born on January 11, 1937, to Livy and Lilybel Wells, Bill was the youngest of seven children. He graduated from Mena High School in 1955 and soon after, he served his country with honor in the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1962.  His service included 13 months in South Korea.

In 1967, he married Patsy and their union spanned 56 years.  Bill had a varied career after the Air Force, starting with installing telephone equipment around the country, working on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, and serving as a DJ for the KENA radio station in Mena.  Later, he worked as a rural carrier with the Postal Service until here he retired in 2002.

Bill had a lifelong enthusiasm for art and taught classes at UA Rich Mountain from 2004 to 2014.  He loved music, was a voracious reader, and a dedicated Razorback fan.  However, painting was Bill’s true passion.  His subjects were varied, including his children and grandchildren, but he couldn’t resist old barns or scenes from the Ouachita Mountains.  Some notable achievements include one of his works gracing the cover of the statewide phone book, having a picture chosen by the governor’s office for publication in an Arkansas calendar, and in 2003 Senator Blanche Lincoln displaying one of his paintings in the U.S. Capitol.  Just last week, three of his paintings were selected for the Southwest Artists 2024 Small Works National Competition that begins in May.

Bill was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Katelyn Wells.

He is survived by his wife Patsy, his son Brian Wells and wife Ronda, daughter Carla Whisnant, grandchildren Brandon Baker and Ashton Baker, and great-grandson Cainan Dixon.

His legacy will live on within the hearts of those that knew him and through the art he passionately created.

Memorial services for Mr. Bill Wells will be held, at 2:00 p.m., Friday, April 12, 2024, at Beasley-Wood Chapel, in Mena, Arkansas. Brother Donnie Jewell will be officiating under the direction of Beasley-Wood Funeral Home. Cremation services for Mr. Bill Wells are entrusted to Beasley-Wood Funeral Home.

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Ethan Nahté

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