Rev. Billy Andrew Burrell, age 96, of Mount Airy, Georgia, went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

Born in Dillard, Georgia, on March 30, 1930, he was a son of the late W.R. “Bob” Burrell and Bertha Holcomb Burrell. Billy was a graduate of Tallulah Falls School, Class of 1948, and attended Bob Jones University.

At the tender age of 15, Billy surrendered his life to the call of the ministry, beginning a lifelong journey of preaching the Gospel, sharing the love of Jesus Christ, and faithfully serving others. Throughout his many years in ministry, he pastored numerous churches across Northeast Georgia, as well as a church in Mississippi. He devoted more than 30 years to serving as pastor of Hazel Creek Baptist Church, where his love for the Lord and his congregation left a lasting impression on countless lives.

Billy's ministry extended far beyond the walls of the church and into the homes and hearts of thousands through the airwaves. He began his broadcasting career with the “Sunshine Melodies” program at WLET in Toccoa before joining WCON-Habersham Broadcasting in Cornelia on July 8, 1959. In 1965, he began hosting the morning show, a role he faithfully continued until his retirement on July 4, 2022, at the remarkable age of 92.

For generations of listeners across Northeast Georgia, Billy was the familiar, comforting voice that greeted them before the sun came up. Through Southern Gospel music, Scripture, prayer, and words of encouragement, he helped countless people begin their mornings with a little more hope and a reminder of God's unfailing love. His gentle voice became a cherished part of daily life, bringing comfort to the grieving, encouragement to the weary, and the message of salvation to those who needed to hear it.

Billy was so much more than a voice on the radio. He was a preacher, a friend, a prayer warrior, and a faithful servant of the Lord. He was the familiar voice that entered homes each morning, the pastor families turned to when a loved one passed away, and a steady, reassuring presence through decades of change in the communities he loved. Whether standing behind a pulpit, sitting before a microphone, or offering a quiet word of comfort, Billy understood that his greatest calling was to point others to Jesus Christ.

Alongside him throughout much of this remarkable journey was the love of his life, Georgie Eugenie Smith Burrell. Together, they shared 65 beautiful years of marriage, building a life centered on faith, love, family, and ministry. Their years together were a testimony to their devotion to one another and to the Lord they so faithfully served.

Billy leaves behind a legacy that cannot be measured simply in years of service, sermons preached, or mornings spent behind a microphone. His true legacy lives on in the countless hearts he touched, the families he comforted, the souls he encouraged, and the Gospel message he so faithfully proclaimed. Though his familiar voice has now been silenced on this earth, the influence of his life and ministry will continue to echo throughout Northeast Georgia for generations to come.

After a lifetime of faithfully proclaiming the Good News, Billy has now finished his earthly journey and entered his eternal home. His family and friends find comfort in the promise of Scripture:

"Well done, thou good and faithful servant... enter thou into the joy of thy lord." — Matthew 25:21 (KJV)

In addition to his parents, Billy was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 65 years, Georgie Eugenie Smith Burrell; brother, Rev. Walter Burrell; sister and brother-in-law, Lila and Johnny Brown; and niece and her husband, Melody Burrell Maxwell and Karl Maxwell.

Survivors include his loving daughter, Neysa Joy Burrell; sisters-in-law, Pat Burrell, Helen Smith, and Floy Smith; nephews and their spouses, Bob and Sheila Burrell, Greg and Lauralee Burrell, and Bill and Cyndi Burrell; along with a host of other nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, other relatives, and many dear friends.

Funeral services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Saturday, September 19, 2026, from the Chapel of McGahee-Griffin & McEntire Funeral Home, with Rev. Greg Burrell and Rev. Phillip Yarber officiating. Interment will follow in the Hazel Creek Baptist Church Cemetery, with Rev. Kenneth McEntire officiating at the graveside.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Friday, September 18, 2026, and again from 12 noon until the service hour on Saturday.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that all donations be made to Gideons International, c/o Habersham North Camp, P.O. Box 1855, Clarkesville, Georgia 30523 or to Shadow of the Steeple Ministries, P.O. Box 2424, Clarkesville, Georgia 30523.

An online guest registry is available for the Burrell family at www.mcgaheegriffinandmcentire.com.

McGahee-Griffin & McEntire Funeral Home of Cornelia, Georgia (706-778-8668), is honored to serve the family of Rev. Billy Andrew Burrell.