William Noble Obituary

William L. Noble
December 31, 1925 – July 2, 2025
Funeral services will be Monday July 21, 2025 at 11:00 a.m., followed by interment at Dickson Memorial Gardens. To honor his last request, the funeral procession will pass by his farm for a final goodbye. Visitation will take place at Taylor Funeral Home, Dickson, TN on Sunday, July 20th, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., and on Monday, July 21st, from 10:00 am until time of service. Those desiring memorials may be made to the Charlotte Fagan Community Church Scholarship Fund, 3158 Vanleer Hwy., Charlotte, TN 37036.
William "Bill" L. Noble, age 99, passed away peacefully on July 2, 2025, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, veteran, and farmer, he lived a long and full life defined by service, hard work, and enduring optimism.
Bill was born in his parent's home in Union Star, Kentucky, on December 31, 1925, the son of Edger and Caroline Noble. He grew up in rural Kentucky, attending a one-room schoolhouse and working on the family farm. Though he had to miss school frequently for chores, he was determined to pursue his education and later completed high school and some college coursework during his military service.
He was drafted into the U.S. Navy in 1945 during World War II, serving as a diesel mechanic on Sub Chaser SC-1431 off the Florida coast. Toward the end of the war his ship was deployed off the coast of Japan for several weeks waiting for the land invasion that thankfully never came. After the war, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, beginning a 20-year career that became part of the newly formed U.S. Air Force.
Bill's military service took him around the world, including assignments in Germany during the Berlin Airlift; Cold Bay, Alaska; South Korea during the Korean War, and Puerto Rico. He also served stateside in Texas, Tennessee, New York, Mississippi, and California. He retired from the Air Force in 1965 as a Tech Sergeant.
While stationed at Sewart AFB in Smyrna, TN, Bill met the love of his life, Tennie Berry, at a YMCA dance. They married in 1952 and started their family in 1960. In 1966, they settled on a farm near Charlotte, Tennessee-land once owned by Tennie's grandfather. There, they spent 54 years raising livestock, growing tobacco, and building a life rooted in family and faith. Bill also worked for Taylor Funeral Home, Winner Boat Company, and the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Bill and Tennie were married for 68 years until her passing in 2020. That same year, he moved to Oklahoma City to be close to his son, Andy and his family. Even in his final years, Bill remained curious, cheerful, and proud of his military service. He often said he hoped to live to 103 and be the last living WWII veteran. Of the 16.4 million Americans who served in WWII, fewer than 50,000 are still living today.
Bill was preceded in death by his wife Tennie; daughter Mary Ann; parents, Edger and Caroline Noble; and sisters, Lois Horsley and Georgia Cantrell. He is survived by his son, Andy (Beth) Noble, as well as his grandchildren, Brenna and Ethan.
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