[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 9] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 13224] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov][[Page 13224]] TRIBUTE TO THE LATE WILLIAM ``BILL'' PAVLIS ______ HON. JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR. of tennessee in the house of representatives Wednesday, June 16, 1999 Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, our Nation has recently lost a great public servant. On Sunday, May 9th of this year, William ``Bill'' Pavlis passed away. Bill Pavlis was born in West Virginia and moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he lived for 60 years. He attended the old Knoxville High School and then went on to be one of our community's best citizens. Bill Pavlis was one of the most respected leaders in the Knoxville area. In 1972, he started a very successful specialty food distribution company in Knoxville. In 1980, Bill Pavlis entered public service as one of the very first members of the newly created Knox County Commission. He spent six years on that body and even served as its Chairman. In 1990, he was appointed to the Knoxville City Council to serve the remainder of the term of Councilman Milton Roberts. Mr. Speaker, Bill Pavlis was a great friend to all that knew him. He was always available to the citizens he represented. Above all, Bill Pavlis was a true family man. Bill and his beloved wife of 49 years, Jamie, raised a wonderful family. His sons, William A. Pavlis, Frank N. Pavlis, George S. Pavlis, and daughter, Christina Pavlis, comprise one of the finest families in East Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to have known such a fine man. I have included a copy of a Resolution adopted by the Knox County Commission, as well as a statement from Commissioner Leo Cooper and an editorial from the Knoxville News-Sentinel that honor the memory of William ``Bill'' Pavlis. I would like to call these to the attention of my colleagues and other readers of the Record. Resolution Whereas, former businessman, Knox County Commissioner and Knoxville City Councilman William ``Bill'' Pavlis recently passed away at the age of seventy (70), after many years of service and leadership in the Knox County Community; and Whereas, Bill Pavlis was a native of Logan, West Virginia, where his parents had emigrated from Greece. He was to live in Knoxville for sixty (60) years, where he met his wife of forty-nine (49) years, Jamie, at Knoxville High School, where he was a football player. He founded a specialty food distribution business, A&B Distributing Company, Inc., in 1972, and the business has thrived since; and Whereas, Bill Pavlis was a notable leader in the community. He served as one of the first nineteen (19) Knox County Commissioners upon his election in 1980. In his six (6) years on this body, he served as Commission Chairman and as Finance Committee Chairman. During his entire tenure of service on the Knox County Commission, he missed only one (1) meeting. He is said to have been proudest, however, of his six years (6) as a member of the Knox County Pension Trust Fund Committee and of his chairmanship of the employees insurance committee. Mr. Pavlis also served as a Knoxville City Councilman, and was considered a strong and popular candidate for mayor; and Whereas, Commissioner Pavlis, with a reputation of straightforwardness and honesty, also participated in countless civic and spiritual organizations and events. He attended two (2) churches, the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, with his wife Jamie, and the St. George Greek Orthodox Church. As a resident of Fountain City, where he was deeply loved, he contributed toward the construction of a gazebo in Fountain City Park. Always there to help, he often provided assistance to his employees at A&B Distributing; and Whereas, Bill Pavlis leaves behind a wonderful family, itself carrying on the legacy of community service exemplified by the Commissioner. His wife Jamie was the first woman appointed to the Knox County Jury Commission. He also leaves behind four children, Christina ``Tina'' Pavlis, William A. Pavlis, Frank ``Nick'' Pavlis, also a Knoxville City Councilman, and George ``Sam'' Pavlis. Now therefore be it Resolved by the Commission of Knox County as follows: The Knox County Commission wishes to express its condolences to the family and many friends of William ``Bill'' Pavlis, upon the passing of its fellow Commissioner and great friend. Be it further resolved, That if any notifications are to be made to effectuate this Resolution, then the County Clerk is hereby requested to forward a copy of this Resolution to the proper authority. Be it further resolved, That this Resolution is to take effect from and after its passage, as provided by the Charter of Knox County, Tennessee, the public welfare requiring it. ____ Statement of Commissioner Leo Cooper Honoring Former Commissioner William P. ``Bill'' Pavlis There are no words to truly express the profound sense of loss an entire community feels at the passing of Bill Pavlis. Bill Pavlis was a man of enormous accomplishments; Bill was successful in virtually every endeavor he undertook in his lifetime. Bill founded and operated a successful business; married an exceptionally lovely woman and raised a beautiful family. Bill was elected to the Knox County Commission and chosen by his colleagues to Chair that body. Bill Pavlis was appointed to serve on the Knoxville City Council, having the distinction of being one of the few individuals ever to serve on both the city and county legislative bodies. Bill Pavlis lived to see the affection of an entire community and the tradition of public service in the election of his son Nick as City Councilman At Large. One could truthfully say Bill Pavlis was a very lucky man, but I believe his friends were the luckier to have known him and had his friendship. ____ He Served the Public Knoxville lost one of its finest public servants with the death on Sunday of William ``Bill'' Pavlis at 70. Pavlis, who served terms on both the Knox County Commission and the Knoxville City Council, was known as someone who brought people together to work out solutions to problems--a characteristic soundly noted by Mayor Victor Ashe. Pavlis' parents emigrated from Greece to West Virginia, and Bill Pavlis was born in Logan, W.Va. He lived in Knoxville for 60 years, starting a specialty food distribution company, A&B Distributing Co. Inc., in 1972. Pavlis was one of the first 19 members elected in 1980 to serve on the new County Commission, the local government entity that replaced the old county court. His six years on that body included a term as finance committee chairman and alter as commission chairman. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1987 but was appointed to City Council in 1990 to serve the remainder of the term of veteran council member Milton Roberts, who died in office. A run for mayor appeared in the offing in 1991, but Pavlis wisely chose family over a political campaign. ``I feel my priorities are in order, and my intentions are good,'' he said in a News-Sentinel interview at the time. ``In spite of that, I just want to spend more time with my wife.'' Pavlis was the kind of citizen we all would like to be-- working with quiet determination to improve the community, bearing the full responsibilities of a serious businessman,, contributing to his places of worship and engaged in various civic endeavors. We extend our sympathy to Jamie Pavlis, his wife of 49 years, and to his family and many friends. He will be missed, but our community is a better place for his presence among us. ____________________