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Mr. William V. Edwards, Jr., 78, of West Point passed away peacefully on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, surrounded by his family.

A funeral service celebrating his life will be held on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022, at 2 p.m. EST at the West Point First United Methodist Church with interment following in Marseilles Cemetery. The Reverend Erik Mays will officiate. Friends may pay their respects on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, from 4 p.m. EST to 6 p.m. EST at the Johnson Brown-Service Funeral Home in Valley.

Bill was born and raised in Griffin, Georgia, the son of the late William V. and Marilu Smith Edwards.  During his childhood, he was active in scouting and in his early teens earned the rank of Eagle Scout.  He graduated from Griffin High School in 1961 and attended the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he graduated in 1965 with a B.S. degree in industrial engineering. He was a letterman on the Georgia Tech golf team, a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and a cadet in the U.S Army ROTC. Georgia Tech was one of his greatest loves. All three of his children graduated from Georgia Tech. He was an avid fan and a football season ticket holder for 56 years.

Upon graduation, Bill was commissioned into the U.S. Army. He was stationed at various locations throughout the United States and ended his career at Ft. Benning, where he earned the rank of first lieutenant. He served two years active duty and three years active reserve. During his time at Ft. Benning, Bill met his future wife, Susan Edgar, of Atlanta.  They married in 1968 and started their life together in Rome, Georgia. Bill began his 35-year career at West Point Stevens and moved his family to West Point in 1977, where he worked for the company until 2000.

Bill was a servant leader and known throughout the Valley area for his many civic roles. He had a passion for people and serving his community.  He served and led many boards including those of Chattahoochee Valley Hospice, George H. Lanier Memorial Hospital, Harris County Chamber of Commerce, Riverside Country Club and West Point Rotary Club, among others.

He was an active member of West Point First United Methodist Church, where he served in numerous roles including chair of administrative council, lay delegate to the annual conference and a Sunday school teacher to his adult class.

Bill was instrumental in many aspects of Springwood School, from starting the golf program in 1988 to chairing the Board of Trustees, as well as organizing numerous fundraisers. In 2016, he was recognized for his longstanding commitment to Springwood by receiving the “Service to School” award. He was the Head Golf Coach at Springwood for 22 years, won six district championships and led two teams to state runner-up finishes.

Bill was active in politics both in West Point and the state of Georgia. He coordinated fundraisers for both local and state candidates and served as a precinct chairman for Harris County for many years.

“Pops,” as he was known to his grandchildren, was a faithful supporter of his grandchildren’s endeavors and often traveled to attend as many events as he could. He enjoyed sports of all kinds, especially golf.  He loved the beach and spending time with family and friends at the family condo in Destin, Florida.

Survivors are his wife of 53 years, Susan E. Edwards; children, Jennifer Edwards Wright and her husband, Brian, of Sandersville, Matt Edwards and his wife, Ann Marie, of Atlanta, Ben Edwards and his wife, Maggie, of Atlanta and his eight grandchildren:  Mary James, Will, and Carrie Wright; Emilie, Pete, and Spencer Edwards and Anna and Parks Edwards.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either of the following charities which were so special to Bill:

West Point First United Methodist Church

306 E 7th Street

West Point, GA 31833

Springwood School

1814 Cherry Drive

Lanett, AL 36863

Please visit his Memorial Tribute page at www.johnsonbrownservicefh.com to leave a kind word for his family, share a memory of Bill, or to light a remembrance candle in his memory.

Johnson Brown-Service Funeral Home of Valley directing.