William Roden, Sr.

William Hollis Roden Senior, 58, of Milton Tennessee passed away on October 17, 2026 surrounded by his family. He was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on December 14, 1967. He was preceded in death by his parents Ben Floyd Roden, Sr. and Dorothy Louise Roden. He was also preceded in death by two brothers, Ben Roden, Jr. and Jeff Roden.

He is survived by his wife, Victoria Roden, sons, William Roden, Jr. and Corey (Bella) Roden, daughters, Kerry Roden, and Ashley (DJ) Dearry, his racing team drivers who were like his own sons, Dustin Winfree and JJ Greene, sisters, Ellen (Keith Stacey) Roden, Rita McClure, Elber McCullough, Teresa Brewer, Virginia (Greg) Hams, thirteen grandchildren, Payton (Kaleb), Kyle, Payslee, Kinlynn, Kysen, Graysen, Navie, Blakely, Kaden, Emery, McKinlee, Jaxon, Camryn, and side kick Pomeranian dog, Ozzy Bentley.

Growing up in Murfreesboro in the 70’s and 80’s you got to know the other families in your neighborhood very well. It didn’t take long for William and Victoria to notice one another. The sparks flew and they knew they had met their mate. They were blessed with over 41 years together and married for 31 of those. A rare feat in today’s world of relationships.

He was raised knowing how to work hard. He didn’t shy away from doing some of the hardest and hottest jobs out there either. After leaving school he went to work in the roofing business. Definitely not the kind of job you can sleep on. Especially, when you’re the boss man. If he wanted a paycheck, he had to get up and at it. Then he went to work as a laborer and truck driver with Bradley’s Paving. Again, not a cushy desk type job, but it didn’t bother him. He became the right-hand man for the owner, Jim. They worked together over 25 years.

William had an aptitude and smarts for doing anything he put his mind to. He was especially good working with his hands. That coupled with his mechanical ability drew him into a nearly full-time hobby go kart racing. He built racing carts for his sons, by blood and chosen to perform on the track. As a young man his grandpa nicknamed him Wizard. Although the story behind he name is still a mystery, he carried it proudly. He named his race team Wizard Roden MotorSports. Just because they weren’t full size cars didn’t mean he wasn’t serious about putting the pedal to the metal to get in the winner’s circle. He had the boys for drivers, and the girls were the sideline cheerleaders and trash talkers to promote the team.

Whenever they weren’t on the track, they were in the garage. Trying to pull every ounce of horsepower out of those carts. They traveled near and far to show what they had. Spending many weekends at the tracks from Morrison to Alabama and Georgia. Over the years he amassed a garage full of trophies. He didn’t want anything to interfere with the races. That meant birthday parties may have to be rescheduled and trying to figure out how to postpone a birth. But seriously, he loved his time racing and he loved his family.

Racing helped ensure lots of family time together. He was a stickler for doing things his way. If you rode with him, don’t even think about messing with the radio. He didn’t think the kid’s choice in music was suitable or necessary. You also shouldn't try to adjust the thermostat in the truck, or you might just get smoked out with the windows up.

When he wasn’t racing, he needed to wind down with Victoria and watch a good Clint Eastwood Western or just a show they could watch together. When his brothers were living, they enjoyed getting together to play poker. He was also a good pool shooter, competing in tournaments in years past.

They grandkids lovingly called him Papa. He loved having them around to pass on the family traditions and his knowledge to the next generation. His spirit and stories can be carried by the generations to come with the same drive that he put into his race carts.

Visitation will be held at Gentry-Smith Funeral Home on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, from 3-7 pm. Funeral services will be held in the Gentry-Smith Funeral Home chapel on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 12 PM. Interment will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Murfreesboro, TN. Share stories and condolences with the family awww.gentrysmithfuneralhome.com Gentry-Smith Funeral Home, 303 Murfreesboro Road, Woodbury, TN 37190, 615–563–5337. Because every life has a story.