Bill Dumas, 77, of Mountain View, was called to come to his heavenly home on August 5, 2024. He was born in Dallas, TX, on September 18, 1946, to William T. Dumas, Sr., and Annie Lennice Campbell Dumas.
The family moved to Memphis, TN when Bill was 9 years old, where he lived most of his life. He attended East High School, the University of Mississippi-Ole Miss, and Memphis State University where he graduated in 1972 with a B.A. in biology and a M.Ed. He began teaching high school science in 1972 and became a guidance counselor in 1988. Most of his teaching years were spent in Shelby County schools at Bartlett High School and Collierville High School. He loved all his students and kept in touch with many through the years.
He met his wife, Bonnie, in 1986 and they married in 1990. They enjoyed traveling west during the summers and had many wonderful times doing this. He loved college football and his Ole Miss Rebels, he never missed a game.
Upon retiring in 2004, he worked part-time as a substitute teacher at Arlington High School in the community where they lived for 16 years before moving to Mountain View in 2008. They visited Mountain View first in 1988 on a church retreat and fell in love with the beauty of the Ozarks and the music culture here. It was their dream to build a home and retire here and that dream was accomplished in September 2008 when they made Mountain View their permanent home.
Bill loved to read and sit on his back deck overlooking the ”million-dollar view” with his cats. He loved going to Walmart and fellowshipping there with everyone he knew. Anytime he was in town he always made a drive by the Pickin’ Park on the way home to see if any of his favorite musicians were gathered playing there or at the Inn at Mountain View parlor. People loved Bill because he was a little different than most. His brilliant mind went places that the average person did not think of going. You never knew what he was going to say, but it was something usually profound. He loved to talk about spiritual things and he wanted all people he met to know Jesus and what He did for him. He often posted these spiritual thoughts on his Facebook page and ministered to many through that social outlet. He also ministered to and served others through several churches in Mountain View, First Baptist Church, Siloam Fellowship, and most recently helped start a new group of believers at the 12:2 Fellowship. He loved people and all of God’s creatures, especially his cats, Boots, Evie, and Harvey. He learned to love dogs too and took good care of Dolly, Bonnie’s baby when Bonnie was away. He will be missed by many.
Bill is survived by his wife of 34 years, Bonnie Cleaves Dumas; Sister-in-law Barbara Reinert Dumas of Spearfish, SD; nieces Dacia Dumas Kacala of Bristow, VA, and Danielle Dumas Mead (Jason) of Cheyenne, WY; great niece Whitney Mead and great nephews Tucker Mead, and Cameron Kacala. He is preceded in death by his parents William T. Dumas, Sr. and Annie Lennice Campbell Dumas, and his brother, Jerry Dumas.
Visitation is scheduled for Saturday, August 24 at the Roller-Crouch Chapel from 10 to 10:30 a.m. and a memorial service to be at 10:30 a.m.
