Obituary: Mcwilliams, Edwin Joseph

McWILLIAMS, Edwin Joseph Passed away January 11, 2014 in Seattle, WA at the age of 94, surrounded by family in his last days.

Loving husband, father, and great friend, Ed was renowned for his high standards for ethics, integrity and loyalty.

Born August 11, 1919 to Frank and Alice (Conlan) McWilliams in Spokane, Ed graduated from Gonzaga H.S., and was an Eagle Scout.

He attended University of Notre Dame, Marquette University and received a B.S.

in Business Administration from Gonzaga University.

He was a member of Alpha Kappa Psi, and served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during WW II.

He and Betty Galbreath met and were married in August, 1944.

In Business and Industry: He was President of Fidelity Mutual Savings Bank; President of Fidelity Service Corporation; Chairman of the Board of Regents, Graduate School of Savings & Loan, Indiana State University; President of Mutual Savings Bankers of Washington; Chairman of the National Association of Mutual Savings Banks; addressed the International Conference of Mutual Saving Banks in Bogota, Colombia in 1976; District Governor, Institute of Finance Education; Advisory Board, WA State Council on Economic Development; Member of the Prosperity Club of Spokane; Composite Fund Board of Directors.

In Service to his State: President, Independent Colleges of Washington; Member of the Board of Regents of Washington State University (16 years) and President 1983 and 1984; President of the Search Committee WSU; Chairman Eastern Washington Easter Seal Campaign; Washington State Student Loan Guaranty Board member.

In Service to his Community: Ed was President of the Inland Empire Council of the Boy Scouts of America; Board of Regents, Fort Wright College; President of Spokane Unlimited; President of the United Way of Spokane County; Chairman of Spokane Housing Authority; Director and member of the Executive Committee, Expo 74 World’s Fair; President, Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce; Board member of Fairmont Memorial Association for 51 years, on the Executive Committee and past President; Instrumental in the development of Heritage Funeral Home, long time President and member of the Board; President of the Rotary of Spokane Club #21; Treasurer, Rotary District #508.

Honors Received: Boy Scouts Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, and Distinguished Eagle awards; Jr. Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Boss of the Year; Rotary Paul Harris Fellow; Ed McWilliams Day - City of Spokane and Rotary; Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame.

Member of the Rainer Club; former member of the Spokane Country Club and the Spokane Club.

Ed’s favorite place was Priest Lake, Idaho, where he spent long summers as a youth, in the era when grocery shopping was done by boat at a single store across the lake.

His father made the trip from Spokane for weekends.

After WW II and ten years in Seattle, Ed and his family moved to Spokane and he again enjoyed vacations and many weekends at “The Lake”.

They moved to Exeter House, Seattle in 2010 where Ed enjoyed singing with the Men’s Chorale Group, including their Christmas Performance in December.

He is survived by his wife Betty, and four children: Larry (Cindy), Barbara Barndt (Pete), Joan Gehrke (Douglas) and Peter (Anne); five grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

There will be a Rosary and Memorial Mass Thursday, January 16th at 2 PM at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, 3218 W. Barrett Street, Seattle.

Memorial gifts may be sent to the Boy Scouts of America, Inland Northwest Council, 411 W. Boy Scout Way, Spokane, WA 99201.

HOFFNER FISHER & HARVEY FUNERAL HOME, Seattle.