William "Skeet" Clayton Dial

This obituary was lovingly prepared by the family.

William Clayton “Skeet” Dial, 91, passed away April 26, 2024. He was born, raised, and lived his entire life in the Dialtown community near Oxford, Georgia. Clayton was preceded in death by his beloved wife of fifty-nine years, Betty Joyce Taylor Dial. Clayton was a farmer’s son whose strength of character was molded as a child enduring the hardships of the Great Depression and the uncertainties of World War II. Growing up on the farm, he spent many hours under a shade tree repairing tractors, trucks, and automobiles, which led to his lifelong love for repairing anything with four wheels. In his younger days, Clayton was known for driving fast cars fast, and he was a champion drag racer who won numerous awards.

Clayton was a U.S. Army veteran who loyally served his country during the Korean War. He had a successful thirty-year career with General Motors at the Atlanta Lakewood plant, and in retirement, he and his son Barry founded Dial’s Garage. A man of great faith, Clayton was baptized at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Oxford where he was a steadfast member for eighty-one years. He taught Sunday School for many years along with serving several terms as Chairman of the Deacon Board and Sunday School Superintendent. Most importantly, Clayton was a loving and resolute family man who took immense joy from being a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, and brother-in-law.

Clayton was also preceded in death by his parents Starr and Eva Sockwell Dial, brothers Albert Dial, Herbert Dial, and Rayford Dial, and sisters Rachel Dial Cowan, Mamie Dial Garner, Martha Dial Chambers, and Bertha Dial Cason. He is survived by his children Angela (Terry) Ballard and Barry Dial and grandchildren Shane (Lisa) Ballard, Michael (Kelli) Ballard, Austin Ballard, Candice Ballard, Hunter (Dalton) Ballard, Brady Dial, and Janie (Brad) Brown, along with nine great grandchildren and sister-in-law Myrna Cason.

Graveside services will be held at 11 o’clock Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at Mt. Zion Cemetery, 657 Mt. Zion Road, Oxford, GA 30054.  The family will receive friends at J.C. Harwell and Son Funeral Home from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William "Skeet" Clayton Dial, please visit our floral store.