William Alfred "Bill" Stephens was born October 30, 1929, in Coffee County, Alabama to James Alvin "Jim" and Verlon Stuckey Stephens as the second child of five. He was raised in Elba, Alabama for 10 years and moved to Jackson, MS in 1939.

He married Margaret Juanita "Dolly" Dollahite on July of 1951. They lived and worked in Jackson and Clinton, MS for 56 years until Dolly's death in 2007. Bill moved to Dallas in 2015.

Bill was named after his great grandfather, William J Stephens. He has come from a long line of Stephens family stretching back to William Stephens, one of the trustees of the Georgia Colony in 1741.

Bill was a banker by trade. He ran the operations center and rose to the level of Executive Vice President of Deposit Guarantee National Bank, which is now named Regions Bank.

An extremely tall man at 6'6" with a "stoic" demeanor, he always looked like the "boss."

Bill served as the president of the Mississippi Bankers Association, president of the Sertoma Club, Sunday School Director at West Jackson Baptist Church and a member of First Baptist Church of Clinton "JoyMakers."

After retirement, Bill was a charter member of The DP Coffee Club in Clinton MS, where mornings with lively discussion of business and politics filled the air.

Bill is deeply loved and will be forever missed.

He is survived by: his daughter, Margaret Stephens Deese (Joe); and son, Rob Stephens (Sandra)

Grandchildren: Paul Marker (Dawn), Brandon Marker (Molly), Cameron Russell (Chad), Jennae Bradley (Rob), John Stephens (Gina)

Great Grandchildren: Connor William Marker, Emma Rose Marker, Jameson Marker, Juliette Bradley, Molly Stephens

And his sister, Dorothy "Dot" Stephens Greenwaldt.

Laid to rest at Lakewood Memorial Park in Jackson, MS next to his wife Dolly.

In lieu of flowers... Please donate to the American Cancer Society in honor of Bill's late granddaughter Michelle Marker.