Chris Michel Bilderback, age 81, was born on Sunday, September 10, 1944, along with his twin sister, Doris, in a clinic above the Police Station in Celina, Texas, to parents Velvie and Louise Bilderback and passed away on Thursday, November 20.

He grew up in Carrollton, Texas, where he enlisted in the Army immediately following graduation in 1962 and spent three years in Bremerhaven, Germany, as a nuclear weapons specialist until July 1965.

One month after his discharge from the service, he met former high school classmate, Reba Maxwell, at the local bowling alley and two dates later, with no job and never even having met her parents, he asked her to marry him.  They married three months later on November 5, 1965, in the church they both attended as kids and celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary 15 days before his death.

He was employed by Texas Instruments in Dallas in August 1965, then transferred to Sherman in 1970 when they moved from Carrollton to the Gainesville Boat Club on Lake Texoma where they lived for more than 50 years and raised three sons, two nephews and hosted four exchange students, prior to his retirement in May 1998.

Chris loved fishing and tournament fished with Angler's Choice for 20+ years.  He was a great handyman, carpenter and mechanic who passed along all his values to his three sons and also served as a lay pastor and deacon at Willis Baptist Church where they were members since 1980.

Always the one to have the last word, even though it may not be entirely true, he loved to tell stories and met people he knew no matter where he went.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Velvie and Louise and sister, Barbara, and is survived by children Tom (Sonja) of Cherryville, NC; Anthony (Rachel) of Alexandria, VA; and Tim (Barbara) of Gordonville, TX; grandchildren, Preslie Davis (Andy) of Morganton, NC;  Alyssa Bilderback (fiance Ty); Gabriel, Ava, and Finley Bilderback; and great grandchildren Elijah and Charli Davis..

A memorial service will be held Saturday, December 6, at 2:00 pm at Willis Baptist Church, 4259 Samuel Rd, in Willis, Okla.  Take the first right on OU Road immediately after you cross the Willis Bridge.