William "Willy" Shor

He was our light

He was our love

He had our hearts, and now he has taken a piece of it with him.

William John Short, 32, of the Doylesville, Union City Community, passed away unexpectedly from heart complications on July 9th, 2025.

William “Willy” was born Nov. 9th, 1992, to Janet Etherington Short and the late Billy Roger Short.

He was a graduate of Madison Central High School and had also attended EKU. During his time at Madison Central, he was actively involved in FFA and was a member of the Land Judging team that went to Oklahoma for the national contest. Like many in his family, his passion was farming. After his father passed away in August 2024, Willy took over the family farm. In the last several months, his confidence had grown tremendously, and he was really enjoying taking care of the farms and raising cattle. He wanted to be just like his dad and his uncles. He wanted to make his family proud. And he did just that!

He shared the same love for animals as his dad. Willy leaves behind two heartbroken puppies, Toby and Mac.

Willy loved hunting and fishing. He took his best naps in his deer blind. He would even wake up every now and then to shoot a buck or a gobbler. The first buck he ever killed actually woke him up from a nap. When Willy fished, he fished with a passion and patience. He wanted to catch the biggest and best fish that he could. Willy and his sister Holly always had a joke that Willy fished for quality, and she fished for quantity.

Willy loved his family and friends more than anything. He would do anything possible for them. He kept his family entertained with his jokes and shenanigans. When they saw his sneaky little smirks and smiles, they knew he was up to something.

In addition to his mother, Willy is survived by: his sister, Holly Ann Short (Tina); his nieces, Kaitlyn Birchfield & Kelsey Barger; his great-nephews & niece, Ryder, Lucas, Marcus, Maddix, and Magnolia; as well as a host of aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Funeral Services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Monday, July 14, 2025, at the Combs, Parsons & Collins Funeral Home, W. Main St., Richmond, with Bro. John McCord officiating. Burial will follow in the Flatwoods Cemetery.

The service will be live-streamed on the funeral home website beginning at 11 a.m. Monday.

Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be: Hayden Short, Merwyn Rhodus, Isaacs Marcum, Dallas Merrill, Tommy Phillips, and Joey Tackett.