Our steadiest influence: in life and in death.

William B. "Billy" Dunavant Jr., 世界著名革命家孟斐斯棉花商人，他热爱自己的家庭, his God, his dogs, his business, 在他人生的88年里，他的城市以某种方式快乐而完美地将它们交织在一起, died on September 11, 2021.

当比利说话的时候，如果人们想学点什么，他们就会听. 他有一个计算机芯片头脑，可以以百万英里的时速工作，使他能够在任何有通信渠道的地方完成利润丰厚的商业交易, 从他在孟菲斯的Dunavant Enterprises办公室，到蒙大拿州的一条鳟鱼溪.

他是一个才华横溢的人，同时又有着令人钦佩、朴实无华的朴素. 他很轻松，和保安、巴黎人直营赌场员或任何勤奋工作的普通人闲聊，就像他和各国总统和首席执行官闲聊一样.

Billy liked to be called "Billy" rather than Mr. Dunavant, favored blue jeans instead of a business suit, 他喜欢牛排和一勺香草冰淇淋，而不是五道菜的正餐;他喜欢乔治·斯特林的歌曲胜过世界上的任何音乐.

他通常是房间里最聪明的人，在他提出问题之前就知道答案了. 在他不需要专业知识的商业领域，他雇佣了精英中的精英.

Billy was a man of action, not reaction. 曾几何时，他在孟菲斯找不到每天打网球的地方. So, just like that, 他将球拍俱乐部发展成为一个世界级的设施，吸引了一年一度的职业网球锦标赛. 他突然发现自己在和克里斯·埃弗特这样的历史上最伟大的球员打表演赛双打, Martina Navratilova, Jimmy Connors and the list goes on.

Billy wasn't intimidated. He ALWAYS enjoyed the challenge, 无论他是在试图与酗酒的中国商人达成一笔数百万美元的生意，还是在一个隐蔽的地方射杀他的朋友和家人.

Billy loved to compete, 无论是网球(他在范德比尔特大学时打网球), 高尔夫(他曾是4个差点，但在30多岁时放弃了这项运动，因为它太耗时)，或者在篮球射击比赛中击败高中生.

He was the first to admit he was a terrible loser.

比利的父亲巴克不仅给了他儿子选择优质棉花的天赋, but also his love of the outdoors. 巴克和他的棉花商人伙伴们通过打猎、捕鱼和销售结成了纽带.

Billy, an only but not a lonely child, 从九岁起，他就知道这是他想要的生活，也是他最终生活的生活.

当比利把家族的棉花生意推向前所未有的高度时——他是第一个将生意拓展到国际市场的美国商人——他成功的秘诀仍然基于他父亲教给他的两件事.

First, if you have a bad business day, you shake the dust from your feet, you learn from it and move on.

其次，在商业交易中，男人的握手是他的言词，合同只是形式.

Anybody who received a Billy handshake knew this, 不管是达成一项商业交易，还是捐钱，不管他是否被要求.

He was a tough, 苛刻的老板，他对他的员工负责，就像他对自己一样，他总是第一个承认他犯了错误.

比利相信他的员工会完成任务，他慷慨地用金钱、尊重和公平的方式奖励他们. It was why many of his employees worked 25 or more years.

他的商业竞争对手钦佩和尊敬他，因为他从不走捷径，做任何事都很有格调.

当他获得财富和名誉时，他学会了努力工作和更努力地玩耍.

Few people had more fun than Billy. 他的母亲多萝西教他笑、开玩笑、玩耍和爱，这些都成为他童年生活的一部分.N.A.

Nobody enjoyed practical jokes more than Billy, 无论是邮寄假蛇给侄子还是把侄女的凉鞋扔到树上. And those were the tame pranks.

Billy and his close friends enjoyed adventures around the world, from getting stopped by armed guards while hunting in Cuba, 让加拿大皇家骑警在他的飞机上搜索非法胸脯鹅, to trout fishing in Alaska.

His friends also learned that if you were his friend, 你是他一生的朋友，他给你取了一个适合所有人的绰号.

His loyalty was legendary, but so was his generosity.

In the early 1980s, he bought the Memphis Showboats, a USFL franchise, 因为他认为这将有利于孟菲斯市，并向美国国家橄榄球联盟证明孟菲斯市应该获得扩张权.

The city didn't receive one, 但比利仍然是一年一度的AutoZone自由杯比赛的狂热的财政支持者.

一楼他捐款帮助孟菲斯土地鸭子无限的总部和辅助美巡赛在帮助构建世界高尔夫名人堂在佛罗里达以及捐赠100万美元开始PGA第一三通为弱势青年项目.

比利一直都有一颗乐于奉献的心——他向各种组织捐赠了数百万美元，无论大小——但30年前，当他娶了妻子汤米，并为他的全面生活增添了女儿凯莉时，他的爱和善心扩大了.

It was the perfect match. Tommie was a highly educated, financially secure, 随波逐流，没有戏剧性的女人，她给了比利无尽的爱, laughter, support and timely guidance.

She smoothed his sometimes brusque and rough edges. 她是他的磐石，他的生活伴侣，每天的组织者和他的保护者，直到最后.

比利身后留下了汤米，他的8个孩子，22个孙子和11个曾孙.

A private service is scheduled for Billy as he wished, which is a request reflecting exactly who he was.

A big deal who didn't think he was a big deal.

以下是关于威廉·杜纳万特三世逝世的新闻:

Daily Memphian. Opinion: A thank you to our city, and a eulogy for Billy Dunavant

 Daily Memphian. “Billy Dunavant: In a league of his own.” Sep. 17, 2021

Daily Memphian. “In business, Dunavant presided over big bang of his own.” Sep. 17, 2021

The Commercial Appeal. 孟菲斯棉业高管、运动爱好者比利•多纳万特(Billy Dunavant)去世，享年88岁.” Sep. 13, 2021

The Commercial Appeal. “Billy Dunavant through the years.” Sep. 11, 2021

The Commercial Appeal. “William B. “Billy” Dunavant Jr. Obituary.” 

WREG Memphis. “Memphis businessmen William B. ‘Billy’ Duvant dies.” Sep. 11, 2021

Local 24 MEmphis. 商人和孟斐斯体育馆的农民比利·杜纳万特去世了.” Sep. 11, 2021 

Daily Memphian. “Cotton executive Dunavant was ‘A Great Memphian’.” Sep. 13, 2021 

Daily Advent.  “Memphis businessmen William B. “Billy” Dunavant Dies. Sep. 11, 2021