Leflore County Engineer Jack Willis wasn't a man known for his trendy sense of fashion.
Instead, Willis, 74, of Grenada, who died of pulmonary failure on Friday, Aug. 25, 2006, at Baptist Hospital in DeSoto County, will be remembered for his skills in mastering the intricate maze of federal and state aid programs and for his dedication to seeing projects through to completion.
"Jack used to tell me, 'If you want a county engineer who wears a three-piece suit with alligator skin shoes, I'm not your engineer. But if you want an engineer that can build roads and bridges, I'm the best there is," recalled Leflore County Supervisor Phil Wolfe of District 1.
Willis, who served as the county's engineer for 25 years, developed strong friendships during the course of his employ.
"I've worked with many engineers over the years. Jack was the best one I worked with. He secured money when others weren't able to get it. He had great knowledge. He was honest and hard-working. He would not quit until the job was done. He was a true friend," said Sam Abraham, Leflore County chancery clerk.
And Willis was always accessible, he said.
"In the middle of the night, when water was in Glendale Subdivision, he came over from Grenada. I never had to look for him. He was always there," Abraham said.
"If you called him at 3 o'clock in the morning, he would drive to you," Wolfe added.
Funeral services for Willis were held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Grenada.
Robert Moore, president of the Leflore County Board of Supervisors, said from the time he first met Willis, back in 1986 as a incoming supervisor, Willis was always a straight-shooter.
"He told me, 'I work for the board of supervisors.' He wasn't interested in politics or games. I had the greatest amount of respect for him. He was a man of his word. You can't help but like a person like that. Whenever you needed Jack Willis, he was right there," Moore said.
Willis, a native of Calhoun County, graduated from Big Creek High School and then went into the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
Initially assigned to an airborne unit, Willis served in the infantry in South Korea. He was wounded during the battle of Chip'young Ni and received the Purple Heart.
On his return to the states, Willis attended the University of Alabama and graduated with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1963.
After graduation, he worked for state Highway Department in Grenada for four years.
In 1967, he established his engineering firm, Willis Engineering, in Grenada. His son, Robert Willis, is now president of the company.
Willis was a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church. He was a member of the National Association of County Engineers, the Mississippi Association of County Engineers, the Mississippi Professional Engineers Association and the Korean War Veterans Alliance.
"I knew Jack for years. He had one of the biggest and best known engineering firms in this part of the state. As Jim Upshaw likes to say, he was the lead dog. He was easy to talk to, easy to be around," said Greenwood Mayor Harry Smith.
Willis and his company were involved in several projects in the city down through the years including the renovation of Keesler Bridge in 2003 along with some earlier improvements to West Park Avenue.
"They do a huge amount of work at the airport," Smith said, referring to the Greenwood-Leflore Airport, which is owned jointly by the city and the county.
Moore said Willis had a hand in most bridges in the county including the Sanders-Hooper Bridge, the Friendship Bridge near Money and bridges that serve the Browning Community.
Willis also served as county engineer for the counties of Grenada, Yalobusha, Webster and Calhoun.
A resourceful man, Willis knew how to get things done, said Bill Crump, director of governmental affairs for Viking Range Corp.
"I have been dealing with Jack Willis for years. When I was mayor of Schlater, he took me on my first trip to Atlanta to meet with Environmental Protection Agency officials. I was 20-years-old, and I came home with a $1 million grant for Schlater's sewer system" as a direct result of Willis' help, Crump said.
"He was a great guy and he really loved Leflore County even though he was from Grenada County. It was more than just a contractual relationship," Crump said.
Moore said Willis' greatest legacy in the county may be the proposed connector road, which will link Mississippi 7 with U.S. 49 North.
Currently, $1.25 million is contained in the U.S. Senate transportation bill for the project.
Willis' rumpled clothing belied his skill as an engineer. When Wolfe visited Willis Engineering, he found a clean, state-of-the-art operation.
"I thought, 'Who is this guy?' I was never more surprised in my life. It was kind of like the "Wizard of Oz," I had to ask, 'Am I still in Mississippi Toto?'" Wolfe said.
Willis was also someone who could work with powerful and influential people in Washington.
Wolfe recalled traveling to Washington with Willis and getting funding for a $2.5 million sewer project for Minter City.
"He was able to put us in a position to get funds that we were really qualified for. He was really an expert," Wolfe said.
Wolfe, Moore, Abraham and County Attorney Willie Perkins attended Willis' funeral.
Smith and the Greenwood City Council provided for a spray for the casket out of their personal funds.
Willis is survived by his wife, Wanda Jean Beckett Willis; two sons, Robert, and Jack Thomas Willis Jr. and six grandchildren.
Dr. Clarence Cooper officiated at the services. Willis Brumfield, former Leflore County Chancery clerk, delivered the eulogy.
Burial was in Woodlawn Cemetery in Grenada.
When Moore visited with Willis at the hospital a few days before his death, even in his weakened condition, Moore said, Willis was glad to see him.
"One thing about Jack Willis, there was nothing fake about him," Moore said.
