Billy Vance Stewart, age 84, of May passed away February 28, 2025. The family will receive friends for visitation from 5 – 7 PM on Monday, March 3, at Heartland Funeral Home in Early. Funeral services for Billy will be held at 2:00 PM on March 4, at May First Baptist Church, in May.
How do you write an obituary for a man that in his family’s eyes, is as strong as Hercules; as brilliant as Einstein; as handsome as Gary Cooper and as witty as Will Rogers?
Billy Vance Stewart came in to this world April 6, 1940 and lived a full, adventurous life until his last ride on Earth, Friday February 28. His parents, Logan Vance Stewart and Ava Nell Burnett Stewart, probably knew his red hair and freckles meant they were in for a rambunctious time. Billy’s brother and lifetime best friend, Troy Gene, came along 7 years later.
His school mates will probably tell you that he enjoyed his young years. From stories of putting ducks in the principal’s office; throwing pop rockets in the toilet at school and drag racing in front of the school.
Bill’s occupations after high school are too numerous to list but include: an Orkin exterminator, grocery sacker, policeman, butcher, rancher, farmer, hotel entrepreneur, TP&L lineman and on and on. In fact, his family has been asked more than once, “Is there anything that Bill hasn’t done?”
As a policeman in Brownwood in the 60’s he has some interesting stories about many local citizens but he is “famous” for catching a bank robber. It was over 50 years later that Bill confessed that there really wasn’t a good story on how he did that. He happened to be at a traffic light at the same time as the robbers. He rolled down the window and told them to pull over. He has no idea why they complied but Billy arrested them and made the front page of the paper!
In 1975 he and his brother bought Bean’s processing plant in Early. And not long after that venture, they purchased Central Texas Cattle Auction and later Brownwood Cattle Auction.
His biggest success story is the hotel business. After building the Classic Inn in Early in 1980, he teamed up with Jimmie Campbell in 1982 to build eight Classic Inn hotels across Texas. Even after that partnership ended in 2000, Billy continued to build and own hotels. His latest project was a complete remodel of the Best Western in Brownwood. It will come as no surprise to those that know him that Billy had been in discussion on purchasing another hotel up until the final days of his life.
Besides his family, Bill loved his cattle and the ranch. Most evenings you would find him in his Ranger, with a cold beverage in his hand, driving through the pasture. That was truly his happy place. The story goes that when he built the house at the ranch that he took his friend and architect James Orr with him in the morning and again in the evening to the house site. Bill wanted his bedroom situated where he could watch the sun come up in the morning and go down in the evening all from his bed.
Billy was a Master Mason and member of the Brownwood Masonic Lodge where he received his 50 year pin. He was also a Shriner and a member of the Heart of Texas Shriners.
Left with great memories but broken hearts include: his wife of 14 years, Bertha; daughter Vannessa (Vann) Stewart of May, her fiancé Haydn Maddox and her children Beale-Madison, Vance-Cady and John-Stewart. Daughter Tammy and husband Mike Barr of Coleman. Their son and daughter-in-law Jonathan and Jessica Barr and sons Charles and Brody of Blanco.
His bonus children from his marriage to Bertha including: Lauren and husband Michael Marquez of Boerne and their daughter Laurel. Son Martin Falcon and wife Anna of San Antonio and their children Amelia and Mia.
His brother Troy Stewart of May and numerous cousins in the Brown County area.
Billy was preceded in death by his parents, his sister-in-law Joan Stewart.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to two organizations that were dear to his heart:
Brownwood Masonic Lodge, Scholarship Fund
% Chad Locker
9600 Hwy 377S
Brookesmith, TX 76827
Or to the Shriners Children’s Hospital of Texas
Online: giveshrinerstexas.org or mail to:
815 Market Street, Suite 523
Galveston, TX 77550