'Bill' Caldwell
The funeral service for Board of Public Utilities chairman William B. "Bill" Caldwell of Paris will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at First Christian Church, where he was a member, elder and trustee.
Officiating will be the Rev. Megan Huston, minister of First Christian Church, the Rev. Johnny Wray, former minister at the church, and Mitzi Minor, a professor at Memphis Theological Seminary. Burial, with a Navy military honor guard, will be in Maplewood Cemetery.
Named as pallbearers are grandsons: Scott and Ivan Caldwell and Taylor Peterson; nephews: Dan Collins, Louis and Cash Caldwell and Dave Tidwell; a niece: Lisa Hippensteal; and Michael McSwain.
Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Paris Rotary Club, where Caldwell was a member and past president.
Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. today at McEvoy Funeral Home and after 10 a.m. Wednesday at the church.
Caldwell, 84, died Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009, at Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville.
His wife, Ann Littleton Caldwell, survives. They were married on June 28, 1949.
A Henry County native, Caldwell was born Nov. 7, 1924, a son of the late James Alfred Caldwell and Margaret Bowles Caldwell.
Caldwell was chairman of the BPU for 45 years and worked as plant manager of the Clippard Plant for 17 years. He also was vice president of manufacturing at Plumley Rubber Co.
He was a charter member of the Henry County Fair Association, Paris Country Club and the Elks Lodge. He was executive secretary for the Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce for four years and the Chamber's Man of the Year in 1979.
A U.S. Navy veteran, he served on the carrier USS Franklin, surviving a kamikaze attack.
He attended Murray State University and the universities of Minnesota and Tennessee.
He also owned and operated a 400-acre farm in the Elkhorn community.
Caldwell remained very active in church, community and civic organizations until his death, according to a family member. He was a 50-year member of Springville Masonic Lodge.
The late Bryant Williams, Post-Intelligencer editor emeritus, once wrote of Caldwell, "Retirement in the real sense of the word is not in the vocabulary of this survivor of the USS Franklin, this businessman, civic leader, farmer, church man, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather."
Caldwell also leaves one daughter: Sally (Walt) Peterson of Paris; two sons: William B. "Bo" (Kathy) Caldwell Jr. of Paris and Alfred (Jane) Caldwell of Louisville, Ky.; three sisters: Jane Woods and Frances Tidwell, both of Gatlinburg, and Mattie Thrall of Sebastian, Fla.; one brother: Mike Caldwell of Paris;
Two brothers-in-law: Bob Collins of Paris and Joe Baker Littleton of Murray; six grandchildren: Christy Caldwell of Paris, Scott (Erin) Caldwell of Memphis, Ivan (Liz) Caldwell of Crestwood, Ky., Amy Peterson of Nashville, Beth (Jeffrey) Arrington of Auburn, Ala., and Taylor Honeycutt Peterson of Helena, Ala.;
Three great-grandchildren: Jackson Miller Caldwell of Memphis, Vivian Menier Caldwell of Crestwood and Sophie Grace Arrington of Auburn; special friends: Michael McSwain and Luke Blakemore, both of Paris; and numerous nieces, nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.
He also was preceded in death by a sister: Margaret Anne Collins on May 29, 1997; and one brother: Joe Caldwell.
Memorials may be made to First Christian Church.
Bill Caldwell was a cornerstone
List of achievements set him far apart
Few, if any, men have contributed more to the life of this community than William B. Caldwell.
Any one of his civic accomplishments would have been enough to mark him as a distinguished citizen. The sum of them all sets him far above others.
Consider:
• For 45 years, he was chairman of the Board of Public Utilities, a role in which he championed high standards of service and public accountability.
• He was one of the prime recruiters of an industry here, Clippard Instruments, and served as the first plant manager.
• He was vice president of manufacturing at Plumley Rubber Co. during that industry's prime years of growth.
• He was the first executive director of the Chamber of Commerce and the first general chairman of the World's Biggest Fish Fry.
• He was a charter member of the Fair Association, Paris Country Club and Paris Elks Lodge.
• He was organizer and chairman of the Sports Hall of Fame.
• He served as Rotary Club president and Heritage Center board chairman.
• He was an elder and trustee of First Christian Church.
Bill Caldwell was a Henry County native who entered the Navy immediately upon graduation from Grove High School in 1943 and served in combat in the South Pacific in World War II.
He was a family man, a highly decent man, a man with many friends. Courtly and congenial, he was the epitome of a Southern gentleman, one who could be a forceful leader without ever being coarse or rude.
The funeral service for Board of Public Utilities chairman William B. "Bill" Caldwell of Paris will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at First Christian Church, where he was a member, elder and trustee.
Officiating will be the Rev. Megan Huston, minister of First Christian Church, the Rev. Johnny Wray, former minister at the church, and Mitzi Minor, a professor at Memphis Theological Seminary. Burial, with a Navy military honor guard, will be in Maplewood Cemetery.
Named as pallbearers are grandsons: Scott and Ivan Caldwell and Taylor Peterson; nephews: Dan Collins, Louis and Cash Caldwell and Dave Tidwell; a niece: Lisa Hippensteal; and Michael McSwain.
Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Paris Rotary Club, where Caldwell was a member and past president.
Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. today at McEvoy Funeral Home and after 10 a.m. Wednesday at the church.
Caldwell, 84, died Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009, at Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville.
His wife, Ann Littleton Caldwell, survives. They were married on June 28, 1949.
A Henry County native, Caldwell was born Nov. 7, 1924, a son of the late James Alfred Caldwell and Margaret Bowles Caldwell.
Caldwell was chairman of the BPU for 45 years and worked as plant manager of the Clippard Plant for 17 years. He also was vice president of manufacturing at Plumley Rubber Co.
He was a charter member of the Henry County Fair Association, Paris Country Club and the Elks Lodge. He was executive secretary for the Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce for four years and the Chamber's Man of the Year in 1979.
A U.S. Navy veteran, he served on the carrier USS Franklin, surviving a kamikaze attack.
He attended Murray State University and the universities of Minnesota and Tennessee.
He also owned and operated a 400-acre farm in the Elkhorn community.
Caldwell remained very active in church, community and civic organizations until his death, according to a family member. He was a 50-year member of Springville Masonic Lodge.
The late Bryant Williams, Post-Intelligencer editor emeritus, once wrote of Caldwell, "Retirement in the real sense of the word is not in the vocabulary of this survivor of the USS Franklin, this businessman, civic leader, farmer, church man, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather."
Caldwell also leaves one daughter: Sally (Walt) Peterson of Paris; two sons: William B. "Bo" (Kathy) Caldwell Jr. of Paris and Alfred (Jane) Caldwell of Louisville, Ky.; three sisters: Jane Woods and Frances Tidwell, both of Gatlinburg, and Mattie Thrall of Sebastian, Fla.; one brother: Mike Caldwell of Paris;
Two brothers-in-law: Bob Collins of Paris and Joe Baker Littleton of Murray; six grandchildren: Christy Caldwell of Paris, Scott (Erin) Caldwell of Memphis, Ivan (Liz) Caldwell of Crestwood, Ky., Amy Peterson of Nashville, Beth (Jeffrey) Arrington of Auburn, Ala., and Taylor Honeycutt Peterson of Helena, Ala.;
Three great-grandchildren: Jackson Miller Caldwell of Memphis, Vivian Menier Caldwell of Crestwood and Sophie Grace Arrington of Auburn; special friends: Michael McSwain and Luke Blakemore, both of Paris; and numerous nieces, nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.
He also was preceded in death by a sister: Margaret Anne Collins on May 29, 1997; and one brother: Joe Caldwell.
Memorials may be made to First Christian Church.
Bill Caldwell was a cornerstone
List of achievements set him far apart
Few, if any, men have contributed more to the life of this community than William B. Caldwell.
Any one of his civic accomplishments would have been enough to mark him as a distinguished citizen. The sum of them all sets him far above others.
Consider:
• For 45 years, he was chairman of the Board of Public Utilities, a role in which he championed high standards of service and public accountability.
• He was one of the prime recruiters of an industry here, Clippard Instruments, and served as the first plant manager.
• He was vice president of manufacturing at Plumley Rubber Co. during that industry's prime years of growth.
• He was the first executive director of the Chamber of Commerce and the first general chairman of the World's Biggest Fish Fry.
• He was a charter member of the Fair Association, Paris Country Club and Paris Elks Lodge.
• He was organizer and chairman of the Sports Hall of Fame.
• He served as Rotary Club president and Heritage Center board chairman.
• He was an elder and trustee of First Christian Church.
Bill Caldwell was a Henry County native who entered the Navy immediately upon graduation from Grove High School in 1943 and served in combat in the South Pacific in World War II.
He was a family man, a highly decent man, a man with many friends. Courtly and congenial, he was the epitome of a Southern gentleman, one who could be a forceful leader without ever being coarse or rude.
'Bill' Caldwell
The funeral service for Board of Public Utilities chairman William B. "Bill" Caldwell of Paris will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at First Christian Church, where he was a member, elder and trustee.
Officiating will be the Rev. Megan Huston, minister of First Christian Church, the Rev. Johnny Wray, former minister at the church, and Mitzi Minor, a professor at Memphis Theological Seminary. Burial, with a Navy military honor guard, will be in Maplewood Cemetery.
Named as pallbearers are grandsons: Scott and Ivan Caldwell and Taylor Peterson; nephews: Dan Collins, Louis and Cash Caldwell and Dave Tidwell; a niece: Lisa Hippensteal; and Michael McSwain.
Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Paris Rotary Club, where Caldwell was a member and past president.
Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. today at McEvoy Funeral Home and after 10 a.m. Wednesday at the church.
Caldwell, 84, died Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009, at Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville.
His wife, Ann Littleton Caldwell, survives. They were married on June 28, 1949.
A Henry County native, Caldwell was born Nov. 7, 1924, a son of the late James Alfred Caldwell and Margaret Bowles Caldwell.
Caldwell was chairman of the BPU for 45 years and worked as plant manager of the Clippard Plant for 17 years. He also was vice president of manufacturing at Plumley Rubber Co.
He was a charter member of the Henry County Fair Association, Paris Country Club and the Elks Lodge. He was executive secretary for the Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce for four years and the Chamber's Man of the Year in 1979.
A U.S. Navy veteran, he served on the carrier USS Franklin, surviving a kamikaze attack.
He attended Murray State University and the universities of Minnesota and Tennessee.
He also owned and operated a 400-acre farm in the Elkhorn community.
Caldwell remained very active in church, community and civic organizations until his death, according to a family member. He was a 50-year member of Springville Masonic Lodge.
The late Bryant Williams, Post-Intelligencer editor emeritus, once wrote of Caldwell, "Retirement in the real sense of the word is not in the vocabulary of this survivor of the USS Franklin, this businessman, civic leader, farmer, church man, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather."
Caldwell also leaves one daughter: Sally (Walt) Peterson of Paris; two sons: William B. "Bo" (Kathy) Caldwell Jr. of Paris and Alfred (Jane) Caldwell of Louisville, Ky.; three sisters: Jane Woods and Frances Tidwell, both of Gatlinburg, and Mattie Thrall of Sebastian, Fla.; one brother: Mike Caldwell of Paris;
Two brothers-in-law: Bob Collins of Paris and Joe Baker Littleton of Murray; six grandchildren: Christy Caldwell of Paris, Scott (Erin) Caldwell of Memphis, Ivan (Liz) Caldwell of Crestwood, Ky., Amy Peterson of Nashville, Beth (Jeffrey) Arrington of Auburn, Ala., and Taylor Honeycutt Peterson of Helena, Ala.;
Three great-grandchildren: Jackson Miller Caldwell of Memphis, Vivian Menier Caldwell of Crestwood and Sophie Grace Arrington of Auburn; special friends: Michael McSwain and Luke Blakemore, both of Paris; and numerous nieces, nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.
He also was preceded in death by a sister: Margaret Anne Collins on May 29, 1997; and one brother: Joe Caldwell.
Memorials may be made to First Christian Church.
Bill Caldwell was a cornerstone
List of achievements set him far apart
Few, if any, men have contributed more to the life of this community than William B. Caldwell.
Any one of his civic accomplishments would have been enough to mark him as a distinguished citizen. The sum of them all sets him far above others.
Consider:
• For 45 years, he was chairman of the Board of Public Utilities, a role in which he championed high standards of service and public accountability.
• He was one of the prime recruiters of an industry here, Clippard Instruments, and served as the first plant manager.
• He was vice president of manufacturing at Plumley Rubber Co. during that industry's prime years of growth.
• He was the first executive director of the Chamber of Commerce and the first general chairman of the World's Biggest Fish Fry.
• He was a charter member of the Fair Association, Paris Country Club and Paris Elks Lodge.
• He was organizer and chairman of the Sports Hall of Fame.
• He served as Rotary Club president and Heritage Center board chairman.
• He was an elder and trustee of First Christian Church.
Bill Caldwell was a Henry County native who entered the Navy immediately upon graduation from Grove High School in 1943 and served in combat in the South Pacific in World War II.
He was a family man, a highly decent man, a man with many friends. Courtly and congenial, he was the epitome of a Southern gentleman, one who could be a forceful leader without ever being coarse or rude.
The funeral service for Board of Public Utilities chairman William B. "Bill" Caldwell of Paris will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at First Christian Church, where he was a member, elder and trustee.
Officiating will be the Rev. Megan Huston, minister of First Christian Church, the Rev. Johnny Wray, former minister at the church, and Mitzi Minor, a professor at Memphis Theological Seminary. Burial, with a Navy military honor guard, will be in Maplewood Cemetery.
Named as pallbearers are grandsons: Scott and Ivan Caldwell and Taylor Peterson; nephews: Dan Collins, Louis and Cash Caldwell and Dave Tidwell; a niece: Lisa Hippensteal; and Michael McSwain.
Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Paris Rotary Club, where Caldwell was a member and past president.
Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. today at McEvoy Funeral Home and after 10 a.m. Wednesday at the church.
Caldwell, 84, died Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009, at Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville.
His wife, Ann Littleton Caldwell, survives. They were married on June 28, 1949.
A Henry County native, Caldwell was born Nov. 7, 1924, a son of the late James Alfred Caldwell and Margaret Bowles Caldwell.
Caldwell was chairman of the BPU for 45 years and worked as plant manager of the Clippard Plant for 17 years. He also was vice president of manufacturing at Plumley Rubber Co.
He was a charter member of the Henry County Fair Association, Paris Country Club and the Elks Lodge. He was executive secretary for the Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce for four years and the Chamber's Man of the Year in 1979.
A U.S. Navy veteran, he served on the carrier USS Franklin, surviving a kamikaze attack.
He attended Murray State University and the universities of Minnesota and Tennessee.
He also owned and operated a 400-acre farm in the Elkhorn community.
Caldwell remained very active in church, community and civic organizations until his death, according to a family member. He was a 50-year member of Springville Masonic Lodge.
The late Bryant Williams, Post-Intelligencer editor emeritus, once wrote of Caldwell, "Retirement in the real sense of the word is not in the vocabulary of this survivor of the USS Franklin, this businessman, civic leader, farmer, church man, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather."
Caldwell also leaves one daughter: Sally (Walt) Peterson of Paris; two sons: William B. "Bo" (Kathy) Caldwell Jr. of Paris and Alfred (Jane) Caldwell of Louisville, Ky.; three sisters: Jane Woods and Frances Tidwell, both of Gatlinburg, and Mattie Thrall of Sebastian, Fla.; one brother: Mike Caldwell of Paris;
Two brothers-in-law: Bob Collins of Paris and Joe Baker Littleton of Murray; six grandchildren: Christy Caldwell of Paris, Scott (Erin) Caldwell of Memphis, Ivan (Liz) Caldwell of Crestwood, Ky., Amy Peterson of Nashville, Beth (Jeffrey) Arrington of Auburn, Ala., and Taylor Honeycutt Peterson of Helena, Ala.;
Three great-grandchildren: Jackson Miller Caldwell of Memphis, Vivian Menier Caldwell of Crestwood and Sophie Grace Arrington of Auburn; special friends: Michael McSwain and Luke Blakemore, both of Paris; and numerous nieces, nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.
He also was preceded in death by a sister: Margaret Anne Collins on May 29, 1997; and one brother: Joe Caldwell.
Memorials may be made to First Christian Church.
Bill Caldwell was a cornerstone
List of achievements set him far apart
Few, if any, men have contributed more to the life of this community than William B. Caldwell.
Any one of his civic accomplishments would have been enough to mark him as a distinguished citizen. The sum of them all sets him far above others.
Consider:
• For 45 years, he was chairman of the Board of Public Utilities, a role in which he championed high standards of service and public accountability.
• He was one of the prime recruiters of an industry here, Clippard Instruments, and served as the first plant manager.
• He was vice president of manufacturing at Plumley Rubber Co. during that industry's prime years of growth.
• He was the first executive director of the Chamber of Commerce and the first general chairman of the World's Biggest Fish Fry.
• He was a charter member of the Fair Association, Paris Country Club and Paris Elks Lodge.
• He was organizer and chairman of the Sports Hall of Fame.
• He served as Rotary Club president and Heritage Center board chairman.
• He was an elder and trustee of First Christian Church.
Bill Caldwell was a Henry County native who entered the Navy immediately upon graduation from Grove High School in 1943 and served in combat in the South Pacific in World War II.
He was a family man, a highly decent man, a man with many friends. Courtly and congenial, he was the epitome of a Southern gentleman, one who could be a forceful leader without ever being coarse or rude.
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