Willard Royce Whitehead, age 86, a resident of Enterprise, Alabama, passed away on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, at Baptist Hospital South in Montgomery, Alabama. Graveside services will be held at Meadowlawn Memorial Park on Monday, January 5, 2026, beginning at 2:00 PM. Burial will follow under the direction of Hayes Funeral Home.
Willard enjoyed life to its fullest. He built a longstanding and respected career as an aircraft mechanic, yet he found his greatest joy in the simple pleasures of working in his yard and tackling odd jobs around the house. Gifted with natural talent and a knack for engineering, he could find purpose and possibility in nearly anything he touched. His hands were rarely still, and his creativity and resourcefulness were evident in all he did.
He leaves behind to cherish his memory two daughters, Wanda Ann Virag of Ariton, Alabama, and Deana Barbaccia of Enterprise, Alabama; his daughter‑in‑law, Mary Ann Whitehead of Ariton, Alabama; eight grandchildren; and ten great‑grandchildren.
Mr. Whitehead was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy Ann Reeves Whitehead; his son, Willard Royce Whitehead, Jr.; and his parents, Ocie and Edwin Roy Whitehead.

Hayes Funeral Home of Elba, Alabama, is serving the Whitehead family.