Billy Frank Selph, 89, of Tifton, passed away peacefully at his residence on Sunday, June 1, 2025.
A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at Northside Baptist Church in Tifton, with Rev. Stacy Phillips officiating and a eulogy from Mr. Mike Chason. Mr. Selph will be laid to rest at Oak Ridge Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals. Mr. Selph will be placed in the church one hour prior to the service.
Serving as pallbearers will be Winston Selph, Will Hart, Mark Gibbons, Blake Powell, Jason Walker, Tony McBrayer, and Bryon Fountain. Honorary pallbearers will include current and former deacons of Northside Baptist Church and their spouses, as well as members of the Tifton High School Class of 1954.
Born on August 1, 1935, in Tifton, Mr. Selph was the son of the late Bolan Selph and Sally Arrington Selph. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Howard Selph and Edward Selph, and one sister, Evelyn Hornbuckle Hancock.
A 1954 graduate of Tifton High School, Mr. Selph served as a purchasing agent and supervisor of the accounting and business department for the United States Department of Defense. His career also included time with the United States Department of Agriculture at the Tobacco Research Station in Oxford, North Carolina, and later at the University of Georgia, Rural Development Center in Tifton, where served as the purchasing agent and accountant until he retired in 1995. During his tenure with the University of Georgia, he also served as treasurer of the Sunbelt Expo in Moultrie.
Mr. Selph dedicated much of his life to community service. He was a faithful member of the Lions Club of Tifton for over 50 years and volunteered at local voting polls. At Northside Baptist Church in Tifton, he served in numerous roles, including deacon, treasurer, Sunday School teacher, and pastor prayer partner. He also served in the Georgia National Guard for seven years.
The most important journey of Mr. Selph’s life began in 1966 when he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior at Westside Baptist Church in Oxford, North Carolina. Shortly afterward, he was ordained as a deacon, beginning a lifelong mission to share the love of Jesus with others.
Mr. Selph is survived by his loving wife, Gerri Smith Selph of Tifton; one son and daughter-in-law, Kyle and Michelle Selph of Fernandina Beach, Florida; one daughter and son-in-law, Tammie and Rusty Smith of Tifton; one sister and brother-in-law, Barbara and Charles Haynes of Monroe; five grandchildren and their spouses, Will and Leslie Hart of Columbus, Katherine Smith, Ali and Zach Soper, Winston Selph, and Joanna Selph; and four great-grandchildren, Bill Hart, Ryleigh Hart, Smith Soper, and Graham Soper.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Northside Baptist Church’s Student and Children’s Ministry, 4605 Murray Avenue, Tifton, GA 31794.