Staff Report

Longtime Batesville businessman William T. Burns died Christmas Day at his home in Batesville following a lengthy illness. He was 77.

Burns was called “Bill” by many, but his common moniker among the many people his businesses employed and others was “Punk.”  He grew up in the Eureka community in a sharecropper’s family, and with his wife Nancy (Cook) Burns built one of the most successful companies ever headquartered in Panola County.

The couple operated Custom Sign Co. for more than 43 years and were also owners of CSC Petroleum Company. Paul Williams, who worked for the Burns 17 years, said employees could be sure each job they worked was designed correctly and would be personally inspected by the Burns.

“He was a smart man when it came to figuring things out for the job, and he was particular about it being done right,” Williams said. His crews could perform almost any type of work associated with convenience stores and gas stations from signage and pump installation to the construction of stores from the ground up.

“We were working in Jackson one day and I realized that on that same day Mr. Bill had crews working there, in Little Rock, and in southern Kentucky,” Williams said. “He could do any kind of job and wasn’t scared to try anything when we had to figure something out.”

Besides the many local people who worked for Custom Sign Co. over the years, Burns was also well-known for the large firework shows he would have on his property every Independence Day. Before the city and county and others began having annual firework shows, the Burns’ Fourth of July event was a community happening that many people fondly remember attending with family and friends.

Former Batesville Mayor Bobby Baker said Burns will be remembered for his business acumen and his generosity to employees. “His was a very busy business and I know he covered a large territory and helped a lot of people.”

 

An obituary written by his family is located in the “Obits” section of this website.