Billy Lee Hatfield Jr

Billy Lee Hatfield Jr. August 31, 1957 – October 26, 2026. Billy “Bill” Lee Hatfield Jr., known affectionately as “Hotshot” in his youth and racing days, passed away Monday evening, October 26, 2026, at the age of 69, surrounded by loved ones. His passing followed a ten-month battle with cancer that was terminal at diagnosis. He was born in Oklahoma City on August 31, 1957, to Billy Lee Hatfield Sr. and Juanita Gertrude Hutchens Hatfield.

 Beginning in his youth and continuing into adulthood, Billy worked alongside his father in his television, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration businesses. He was also licensed in the early 1980s by the City of Midwest City as a journeyman in heating and air conditioning. He carried those practical skills into other work and continued building on them throughout his life. Billy spent nearly 30 years as a civilian aircraft mechanic at Tinker Air Force Base, where he finished his career and retired.                                                                                                                                           

 Billy had a lifelong gift for all things mechanical, but his extraordinary capability and life smarts went beyond fixing things. He understood people, and could read situations. His knowledge came from a lifetime of watching, listening, learning, working and doing. He took pride in being able to build, maintain and repair things—and in doing the job right. Billy was hearing impaired, but he found ways to work around it with the same resourcefulness he brought to the rest of his life.                                                                                                                                                   

 Motorcycles were a lifelong passion for Billy. He could take a bike apart down to the nuts and bolts and put it back together with nothing missing. In 1972, at age 14, he started Bill’s Cycle Shack in Nicoma Park, Oklahoma, which he operated until 1976. He also completed a motocross racing course in 1973, earning his certification.                                                                                                                                                                          

An accomplished racer who advanced to the expert class, Billy won numerous racing championships and competed at many racetracks. He was especially proud when he obtained his American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) competition license in the early 1970s, which bore his motocross number, 427. His wife, Adona, knew some of the tracks where Billy had raced and had been to them with him. After he became ill, she asked him about the others. Together, they recalled 24 tracks, many of which he had raced on multiple times. Billy knew there were still others he could no longer name as the cancer began affecting his health and memory.                                                                                                                            

 Billy loved riding anything on wheels—two, three or four—from 125cc bikes to his friend BJ Rooker’s 600cc, nicknamed “Thumper” because it was a loud, fast beast of a bike. Although Billy mostly rode 250cc bikes, he had a great time on the 600— and won when he raced it. Over the years, he rode many bikes, including Hodaka, Honda, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. Husqvarna was his favorite, with his Hodaka Super Rat coming in a close second. When Adona recently asked him why he liked Husqvarna so much, he explained that they worked out of a smaller shop and did their best. His passion for motorcycles was evident, whether he was rebuilding them, racing, riding with friends or following the races on TV.

 Long after his racing days ended, Billy still loved watching the fog roll in. He always said it reminded him of getting up and heading to the track on race day.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

 Billy enjoyed the friendships he made over the years and the times he shared with family and friends—trips to the lake, riding, camping, enjoying the outdoors, spending an evening on the town, or just genuinely getting into mischief on and off the job. His brother, Thomas “Tom” Hatfield, and friends Joseph “Joe” Beavin, Kip Bell, Bradley “Brad” Harber, William “Rick” Hicks, Tom McGrath, Cyrus “Cy” Valanejad, and the late Bernard “BJ” Rooker were among those with whom he shared some of his best and fondest memories.                                                                                        

Billy and Adona enjoyed simply spending time together. They shared many interests, including four-wheeling in their Jeep, spending days on the lake, listening to music, going to concerts and movies, and attending races.                                                                                                               

Billy was a simple man with simple tastes. He was meticulous about caring for the things around him and took pride in what he had. He could be private, reserved, and perfectly content to be a bit of a hermit, but the people he knew and loved, he cared for deeply.                                           

 Billy and Adona met in May 1980 and married on May 27, 1983. They shared 46 years together, including 43 years of marriage, and welcomed their daughter, Austyn, on July 24, 1986.                                                                                                                                                                                

 Billy was always doing the everyday things a husband and father does to care for the people he loves and make their lives a little easier. His daughter, Austyn, held a special place in his heart, and he loved being her dad. After he became ill, Austyn offered a tribute that captured what he meant to her: “He’s a good dad. He earned that title.”                                                                                                                                                 

 Billy loved his parents and was proud to carry the Hatfield name, which meant a great deal to him. He was fiercely protective of his brother, Tom, once saying, “I can get onto him, but no one else better.” As a little boy, he loved his big sister, Linda, so much that he told her he was going to marry her.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

 Billy loved Adona’s parents. In later years, he regularly took his mother-in-law, Imogene, to appointments, and would visit with her for hours about the history of Oklahoma City until his own illness made that impossible.                                                                                                                      

 Billy is survived by his wife of 43 years, Adona Hatfield; his daughter, Austyn Hatfield of Harrah; his brother, Thomas “Tom” Hatfield, Tom’s wife, Lindsay, and their daughter, Jayla, of Nicoma Park; his mother-in-law, Yvonnie “Imogene” Bolner of Oklahoma City; his sister-in-law, Danessa Gragg of Blackwell; and many nieces, nephews and friends.                                                                                                                                                    

He was preceded in death by his parents, Billy Lee Hatfield Sr. and Juanita Gertrude Hutchens Hatfield Finch; his sister, Linda Sue Freeman; his brother, Craig Stephen Hatfield; his grandparents, William Henry Hatfield and Esther Elizabeth “Lizzy” Huff Hatfield Brown, with whom he spent much of his childhood and whom he loved dearly and spoke of often; his father-in-law, Albert Paul Bolner; his sister-in-law, Cayona Breneé Bolner Lee; his beloved longtime friend, Bernard James “BJ” Rooker; and many other family members and good friends who went before him.

 The family thanks everyone who called or sent messages during Billy’s illness and after his passing. There were many, and each expression of kindness meant a great deal. Special thanks to his brother, Tom, who spent multiple days and nights beside him, and to those who came to see him: Joe Beavin, Kip Bell, Karin Fitzpatrick, Brad Harber, Heather Rooker Cheek-Harris, Tom McGrath and Cy Valanejad. 

They also extend their heartfelt thanks to the president, Board of Directors, management and staff of the Municipal Employees Credit Union of Oklahoma City, and to Austyn’s employer. Their kindness, understanding and flexibility made it possible for Adona and Austyn to care for Billy at home.

 The family is deeply grateful to Interim Hospice for their compassionate care and support. 

A special and heartfelt thank-you belongs to Billy and Adona’s niece, Ashley LeStarge. Thank you, Ashley, for your compassion and for helping us care for Billy. He felt comfortable with you here, and that meant so much to us.

 Without the support of all these people, the family could not have kept Billy at home, where he wanted to be and where they wanted him—safe, cared for and surrounded by those he loved.

 Adona sends her love to everyone especially their daughter, Austyn, whose love for her dad knew no bounds. That love was there long before his illness, and when he became sick, she did everything she could for him, spending her days and nights helping care for him through his final days.

 From Adona to Austyn: “Your dad knew how much you loved him. He wanted nothing more from you than your love, and he knew he had it.” From Adona to Tom: “Your brother loved you deeply and always wanted what was best for you. Even in his final days, he made it clear how much you mattered to him.” 

From Adona to everyone else: “When you travel through life with the right person, everything else somehow feels a little easier.”

 Just before Billy passed away, Adona prayed and spoke to him, hoping he could hear her. She told him she had loved him from the moment she met him, that he was a great husband and father and her best friend. She asked him to say hello to their loved ones for her and to wait for her—she would find him. 

The Hatfield family knows firsthand that helping care for a dying loved one is among the most meaningful gifts anyone can give. For those who feel moved to do so, donations may be made to Interim Hospice through Hibbs Funeral Home & Cremation Care Center. These gifts honor the care and support that allowed Billy to remain at home with those he loved and help Interim Hospice continue its work.