Willard Roy "Bill" Thompson Jr., age 78, died Tuesday . Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church in Marietta. The family will receive friends at the church at 1 p.m. until the service. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Bill was born on Nov. 28, 1939 in Vidalia, Ga., to the late Willard Roy Thompson and Sibyl Burkhalter Thompson. He graduated from Claxton High School in 1958 and earned a degree in industrial engineering from Auburn University in 1962. He began his career as an engineer at Georgia Power in 1962 and retired in 1994. He also was a sales representative for Utility Specialists Inc. until retiring in 2005. He was an active member of Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church, where he served on the finance committee, the staff-parish committee, the board of trustees, and was a member of the Heritage Club.

Bill is survived by his wife of 53 years, Ann; children, Rosalyn (Ken) Dunn of Roswell and John Thompson of Atlanta; grandchildren, Molly Catherine Dunn and Carter Dunn of Roswell; brother, Donald Thompson of St. Simons Island; and sister, Leigh Burt of New Creek, W.Va. Bill loved his family, the Auburn Tigers, the Atlanta Braves, and his rescue dog, Lucy. He will be sorely missed.

The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to the staff of Camellia Place in Woodstock and Bridgeway Hospice for their loving care of Bill. If desired, friends and family may make donations in memory of Bill to Bridgeway Hospice, 1395 S. Marietta Pkwy., Building 400, Suite 116, Marietta, Ga., 30067. Condolences may be sent to the family in care of Lakeside Funeral Home, 121 Claremore Drive, Woodstock, Ga., 30188.