Mr. Willie A. Foote, Sr. was born July 23, 1948, in Macon, Mississippi, to Betty Gavin: he carried the South in his voice, his boots, and his backbone. A Leo by nature and by nerve, he lived by a simple code: show up, do right, and stand firm. He left school in the seventh grade to help his mother chop wood—because family came first, always. When he came to St. Louis at nineteen, Mississippi never left him. He brought its manners, its grit, and its quiet strength with him.

He met and married Mrs. Judy Foote on the North Side, cutting grass the honest way—first the neighbor’s, then hers. He loved her faithfully for 35 years until her passing and now he followed her home. He raised his family with steady hands and a steady heart. He is reunited in rest with his children Yvette and Willie Foote Jr.

For over forty years, he worked in Labarge Pipe and Steel dependable to the end. He loved hunting, football, pickup trucks, lottery tickets, and chopping it up with the fellas.

Though he could not read or write well, his hands told stories—building, fixing, guiding, remembering. At 77, cancer had a conversation with him and persuaded him to go to sleep, because it would be less painful. The universe set his soul free and carried him home.

His life was honest, his love was solid, and his legacy will not fade. He is survived by his children Kelly, Judy “Pumpkin”, and Chaka, who lovingly nursed him at home, and Annetter. He also leaves behind a host of grandchildren. His grandsons Lil Will, Roy, and Robert who nursed him at home until the end. He also leaves behind a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, along with many friends, nieces, and nephews who loved him deeply. He was a man who treated women with respect, never cursed around them, and carried masculinity with dignity. They simply do not make men like him anymore.