William Karnes Poston, Iii

Our son William (Billy) Poston III was born on September 13, 1980, at Fort Sam Houston Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. The nurses called him “Mr. Blue Eyes” because of his beautiful blue eyes that were his trademark.

He was a lifelong lover of movies. Some of his childhood favorites were ET, Rocky, Teen Wolf, Superman, and Star Wars. Billy was always a champion for the underdog and wanted to grow up to be a superhero.

As a young boy, Billy developed a love for basketball and was named the outstanding camper at the Charlotte Hornets Summer Basketball Camp. In high school, he was a Charlotte Latin Hawks basketball team member and was co-captain his senior year. He also played on the Latin lacrosse team and was a traveling AAU basketball team member.

Billy graduated from Charlotte Latin High School, class of 1999. After high school, he studied at Clemson University and ultimately left to pursue his passion for acting at the highly respected Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater in New York City. A gifted actor, Billy found success and built a body of excellent work. He was a shining star with a cunning sense of humor and a penchant for taking risks.

Billy was also passionate about martial arts, a love that started at age 4 when he began studying with Master Heidi Ochai in New York. As an adult, Billy was a beloved student and teacher of martial arts in Los Angeles, California, where he studied at the Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts. With patience and encouragement, Billy passed along his love for the sport by teaching classes to children and his son Jack. One of his favorite quotes was, “You can’t teach heart.”

Billy adored being a dad to his sons, Jack and Jonah. He was a tender father and a strong role model to the boys. He loved working out with Jack, swimming, and playing with them in the bouncy house and on the floor with their toys. His family and friends deeply loved Billy. He was the first one to sit with a sick friend or in the hospital and the first one to reach out to an animal in trouble, as he did when he came upon our dog Dash in traffic on a rain-soaked Providence Road and rescued him from an uncertain fate.

Billy was a superhero in many ways, and like all superheroes, he faced personal battles. Ultimately, he confronted a foe he couldn’t conquer. Billy leaves behind his parents, Pam and Bill Poston of Weddington; his wife Razan and two boys, Jack, six years old, and Jonah, two years old; his sister, Amanda Poston of Philadelphia; and his grandmother Marcella Dailey of Monroe. He also leaves his uncles Jack Dailey of Matthews and Jonathan Poston of Baltimore, Aunt Debbie and Uncle Dave Richard of Florida, Aunt Shirley Vadella of Pennsylvania, and many cousins and friends from Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina, and California.

We are brokenhearted, yet we are eternally grateful for the almost 42 years we had with him. Inspired by Billy’s spirit of love, we are making it our mission to help other families who battle the disease of addiction.

Visitation will be at Gordon Funeral Service and Crematory, 1904 Lancaster Ave, Monroe, NC 28112 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. on Saturday, September 17. The service will begin at 2:00 p.m. in the funeral home chapel and there will be a graveside service afterward at Lakeland Memorial Park across the street from the funeral home.

Online condolences may be made at www.gordonfuneralservice.com

Gordon Funeral Service and Crematory is caring for the Poston Family.