William "Bill" E. McFarland

William “Bill” E. McFarland passed away Wednesday morning, January 20, 2021, at the age of 94. He was a devoted, loving and greatly admired husband, father and friend. Bill and his family were longtime residents of Biloxi, MS having moved to Biloxi in 1965. Bill was born in St. Joseph, MO. He is a WWII veteran having enlisted in the Navy his senior year of high school and served until the end of the war. When Bill returned home, he met and married Joan Archer, the love of his life through a blind date. They were married for 72 wonderful years. Bill went to work with the National Cash Register CO (NCR) where he had a distinguished career that took him from St. Joseph, MO to Biloxi, Pensacola, FL, Little Rock, AR and back to Biloxi retiring with 40 years of service in 1989. Bill and his wife Joan were long time members of the Church of the Redeemer in Biloxi where Bill served in numerous capacities until it was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina. Then they joined St. Peters by the Sea in Gulfport, MS. continuing his faithful service to the Lord. Bill, to his father’s delight, became a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason through the Moila Shriners, St. Joseph, MO and continued his service at the Joppa Temple in Biloxi. One of Bill’s favorite and most memorable activities as a Shriner was being a part of the “Tin Lizzies” Team with Joppa Temple participating in many of the local parades every year across south Mississippi. Bill was an avid Free Flight Model Aviation enthusiast starting as a teenager and continuing through adulthood. He was so happy when his sons and grandsons took an interest so they could fly and compete together. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, William H. McFarland and Gladys Hoover Crowley; his sister, Jeanne Reeves; his nephew Alan Reeves and his granddaughter Jennifer Alise McFarland. He is survived by his wife, Joan; three children, William R (Randy) McFarland (Susan), James E. (Jimmy) McFarland (Kathy) and Jill McFarland Carnathan (Glenn); 6 grandchildren, Brett McFarland (Nikki), Melissa McFarland Harwell (Doug), Chris McFarland (Gina), Steven McFarland (Alicia), Julie Carnathan and Lauren Carnathan Wilson (Bobby). He has also been blessed with five great granddaughters, six great grandsons, three nieces and three nephews whom he loved dearly. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Shriners’ Hospital for Children (through Shriners Joppa Temple, 13280 Shriners Blvd., Biloxi, MS 39532, #228-392-9345) with much appreciation. Funeral service will be held on Monday, February 1, 2021 at St. Peters by the Sea Episcopal Church in Gulfport, MS on at 11:00 AM. Friends are invited to gather one hour prior. A private graveside service will be held at Biloxi National Cemetery. Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, Howard Avenue in Biloxi, is honored to serve the McFarland family.