William Clarence Coney, MD, 87, of Jonesville, LA, passed away on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, at his home surrounded by the love of his family.

He was born October 26, 1936 in Sicily Island, LA.

Billy graduated from Sicily Island High School in 1954. He went on to earn a B.S. degree from Northwestern State College in Natchitoches, LA in 1959 in Zoology, then taught school and coached for 3 years. He then went back to school to earn his medical degree from LSU Medical School in New Orleans. He did his internship at Confederate Memorial Medical Center in Shreveport, LA, then became board certified with the American Academy of Family Practice in 1970. He practiced medicine in Jonesville, LA from 1970 until 2018. He retired at the age of 82.

Some of Dr. Coney’s past positions included serving as Alderman in Sicily Island and as the Catahoula Parish Coroner for 13 years. He served in the Army Reserves. He was a physician at Jonesville Mental Health Center, Past Medical Director for Golden Age Nursing Center in Jena, LA and served on staff at Riverland Medical Center in Ferriday, LA as a staff physician for many years. Other areas of service include Medical Director for Four Rivers Home Health, Chief of Staff at Riverland Medical Center Ferriday, Medical Director for Columns Nursing Home Jonesville, Chief of Staff of the Catahoula Parish Hospital Jonesville, Medical Director for Skilled Care Home Health in Winnsboro, LA, Medical Director for Catahoula Home Health Jonesville, and Utilization Review Director for Four Rivers Home Health Jonesville. In 2002, Dr. Coney was honored as Rural Practitioner of the Year by the Louisiana Rural Health Association. Billy especially enjoyed watching LSU sports, reading, fishing, hunting, gardening, and family history.

Services were held at 1 p.m., Saturday, January 13, 2024, at Sicily Island Methodist Church, with Bro. Jon Lord officiating.

Interment followed in the Harrisonburg Cemetery, under the direction of Young’s Funeral Home, Jonesville.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Cameron and Katie Coney; and sister, Beverly Weston.

Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of 61 wonderful years, Jimmie Coney of Jonesville, LA; daughters, Kendell Horton (Jesse) of Deer Park, LA, and Candice Hawkins (Charles Jr.) of Youngsville, LA; grandsons, Cameron Jess Horton of Vidalia, LA, Hershel Colby Horton of Natchez, MS and Charles Michael Hawkins of Dallas, TX; and granddaughter, Emily Ann Hawkins of Broomfield, CO.

Pallbearers were Jesse Horton, Chuck Hawkins, Cameron Horton, Michael Hawkins, Colby Horton, James Parish, John Chisum and Trey Taliaferro.

Honorary pallbearers were Sam Wilkerson, Joe Bondurant, Carey Fairbanks, Paul Riggs, Dr. Sarah Lee, Dave Severson, Clarendon Peck, The “Coffee Group”, Dr. Bill Lang, Dr. Robert Freedman, Virgil Breaux and all the men of the Sicily Island Methodist Church.