[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 94 (Monday, June 9, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1176]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 IN MEMORY OF WILLIAM ``BILL'' EDWARDS

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. MIKE ROSS

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 9, 2008

  Mr. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of my dear 
friend William ``Bill'' Edwards of Hot Springs, Arkansas, who passed 
away June 1, 2008, at the age of 79.
  I will forever remember Bill Edwards as a good friend, a devoted 
public servant and someone who cared deeply about improving the quality 
of life in Hot Springs and Garland County Arkansas. As a natural born 
leader, he excelled at every task he took on and was an inspiration to 
all of us who knew him.
  Bill Edwards served the people of Hot Springs as Alderman and City 
Director for more than 35 years, however, most people just knew him as 
a caring friend. He was one of those rare individuals who never forgot 
the importance of maintaining a high degree of customer service to 
ensure that all those he worked with over the years were in good hands. 
From his very first day on the job working for the people of Hot 
Springs and Garland County, his number one priority was always the 
person he was talking with, and he would not stop working until he had 
exhausted every possibility to help out that individual.
  Bill Edwards's leadership in Hot Springs was guided by his dedication 
to the city and to all of those who work and reside in our beloved 
state. I truly believe the Hot Springs Sentinel Record, the local paper 
which covered him over the years, said it best in their editorial on 
June 3, 2008, by stating, ``It is not an exaggeration to say that this 
director had a `heart for Hot Springs.' '' Whether it was helping a 
constituent, promoting tourism in the city, or simply putting a big 
smile on a friend's face, he knew only one way to do it--with a big 
heart.
  Bill Edwards will always be known for his outstanding service to Hot 
Springs and the surrounding communities. I extend my deepest 
condolences to his two daughters, Brenda Deaton of Texarkana, Texas, 
and Laura Rivera of Leander, Texas; his two sisters, Margaret Bennett 
of Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Martha Young of Hot Springs, Arkansas; 
his three brothers Jimmy Edwards, Charles Edwards and Mike Edwards, all 
of Hot Springs, Arkansas; and to his nieces, nephews, and numerous 
friends. Bill Edwards will be greatly missed in Hot Springs, and I am 
truly saddened by this loss.

                          ____________________