Brandon Billingsley, president of Heavy Duty Bus Parts and UltraLED, passed away suddenly in his sleep Tuesday morning from an apparent heart attack while on a fishing trip in Mexico. He was 42.
“Brandon set up contingencies for just about every possible occurrence in life, including his passing. Heavy Duty Bus Parts and UltraLED will continue moving forward thanks to his preparedness,” said Branden Smeltzer, general manager of Heavy Duty Bus Parts and UltraLED. “His vision of the company is set, and all we can do is respect his wishes, and move forward with the Billingsley family legacy.”
Billingsley speaks at a recent industry event representing his home state of Texas. Billingsley grew up around school buses but officially entered the student transportation industry in 1998 as vice president of Heavy Duty Bus Parts, which was established by father Don Billingsley in 1996. Prior to that, Brandon’s grandfather L.B. Billingsley owned and operated Billingsley Parts & Equipment.
Brandon Billingsley opened UltraLED two years ago as a division of Heavy Duty Bus Parts and it is now operating as a separate corporation.
“I think it is appropriate to pay tribute to him and his accomplishments and passion in this industry as well as to him as a person,” Smeltzer added. “We should all appreciate Brandon’s core values in every business decision he made, which focused on student safety first, no matter what the cost.”
“Outside of work. he has strong values as a human, a husband and father of two wonderful and impressive children,” Smeltzer continued. “Brandon is the guy that will look you straight in your face, shake on a deal and that would be that. The integrity shown by him as an individual is a rarity in today’s world, and he will be missed by many.”
Billingsley was a member of the Texas Association for Pupil Transportation, and Smeltzer noted that the Billingsley family supported NAPT since it was founded in 1977.
Billingsley served as a Ranger in the U.S. Army before joining the family business and graduated in 1997 from Texas State University at San Marcos with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management. He was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
He is survived by wife Kristen, son Baker and daughter Emma. Smeltzer asked that the family’s privacy be respected at this time, and he added that sympathies should be sent to the company’s headquarters: 17850 Interstate 45 North, Willis, TX 77318.
