2025: Notable deaths in Northwest Arkansas, Fort Smith metro

January
Bur Edson, 77, Jan. 15 — Edson, the trusted face of 5NEWS’ evening newscasts for over two decades, died after a battle with pneumonia, according to his family. Edson was the longest-serving news anchor in the station’s history, known for his commanding presence and calm demeanor over two stints at 5NEWS from 1978 to 1986 and 1990 to 2002. He also served as KFSM’s news director for seven years.

Darrell Rosen, 66, Jan. 16 — Rosen’s professional career spanned over 40 years starting in grocery stores his father owned, being an executive at Procter & Gamble, and finally working as a general manager at Thomas Fence. Before his death, Rosen of Springdale had been named president and COO of Bentonville-based supplier development firm 8th & Walton.

February
Thomas E. “Tommy” Boyer, 84, Feb. 19 — A businessman and philanthropist, Boyer of Fayetteville served on the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees in 2017 and was an All-American basketball player at UA. He was born and grew up in Fort Smith. He was inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. Boyer retired from Eastman Kodak Co. in 1989 and was the only sales manager to exceed corporate sales goals for 26 consecutive years. Shortly after retirement, he founded Micro Images in Amarillo, Texas. Within two years, Micro Images became the largest Kodak document imaging systems broker and reseller in the U.S.

Dr. Lee Bodenhamer, 90, Feb. 20 — Bodenhamer earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Arkansas, followed by a doctorate in finance from Harvard Business School. While at Harvard, he taught and pioneered the development of commercial variable annuity investment products. He returned to Arkansas where he founded the First Variable Life Insurance Co. in Little Rock. In 1977, he established Meridian Management Co., where he served as president and built it into a successful investment management firm. In 1998, he founded the Bodenhamer Fellowships at the UA, a prestigious scholarship program that has provided full tuition and study abroad opportunities to 174 scholars since its inception.

Dr. David L. Williams III, 84, Feb. 24 — Williams of Fayetteville was former CEO of Springdale-based behavioral health provider Ozark Guidance Center. Williams, or ‘Doc’ as area businesspeople called him, served as CEO for 30 years and retired in 2007. Under his leadership, the nonprofit expanded programs, staff and operations, community presence, treatments, and technologies, including electronic medical record and telehealth capacity.

March
(Luther) Wayne Britt, 75, March 14 — Britt was the former CEO of Tyson Foods Inc. A CPA, his professional career began at the Douglas Walker Accounting firm in 1969 while he was still in school. In 1972, he became a complex controller for Tyson Foods. Over the next 28 years, he worked in a variety of roles finally culminating with a promotion to CEO. He retired from Tyson Foods in 2000 to pursue other interests, including the board of Arvest Bank.

May
Coach Harold Wynn Horton, 85, May 3 — Horton of Fayetteville was a two-year starter as a defensive back and halfback for Coach Frank Broyles. After an illustrious collegiate football career, he became an assistant coach under Broyles and Coach Lou Holtz before being hired as the head football coach at the University of Central Arkansas. In his eight seasons at UCA, he went 74-12-5. He won back-to-back NAIA Division 1 National Championships in 1984 and 1985 and seven consecutive AIC championships from 1983 to 1989. He is the winningest head coach (81.3%) in Arkansas college football history. Horton left UCA after the 1989 season and returned to Arkansas as an administrator for the football program and athletic department. He retired in 2012 as the president of the Razorback Foundation and the head of the Razorback Letterman’s Club.

John William “Bill” Ramsey, 90, May 17 — Ramsey of Fayetteville was a former Arkansas legislator, serving from 1973 to 1990. He also served as president and CEO of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, executive director of the Arkansas Good Roads Council, and was a lobbyist for the Associated General Contractors. Originally from Prairie Grove, he earned a degree from the University of Arkansas and served in the U.S. Air Force. He served nine terms in the Arkansas House of Representatives and focused much of his energy on economic development and transportation issues. Ramsey was also an entrepreneur and community builder, owning the Crescent Department Store in Prairie Grove and serving as city treasurer of Prairie Grove. He was on the Bikes, Blues & BBQ board of directors and a member of Fayetteville Downtown Rotary and the Northwest Arkansas Motion Picture Association.

July
Uvalde Rex Lindsey, 85, July 19 — Following the death of his father, Lindsey of Fayetteville became the owner of Continental Auto Supply at the age of 23 and built the company into 18 stores across three states before selling it to O’Reilly Automotive in 1982. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1962 to 1972, rising to the rank of first lieutenant and serving as a company commander. Lindsey served on the Harrison City Council and helped Gov. Bill Clinton and Sen. David Pryor. In 1985, he became executive director of the Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District, where he helped secure federal grants for rural transportation, aging services, and economic development. He played a key role in the designation of U.S. Highway 412 and was a founding leader of the Northwest Arkansas Council, advocating for major regional projects including the Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA), Interstate 49, and the “Two-Ton” Benton/Washington Regional Public Water Authority. After retiring from the Council in 2004, Lindsey continued his public service with two terms in the Arkansas House of Representatives and two terms in the State Senate.

August
Bobby “Lew” Thompson, 66, Aug. 26 — Thompson founded Huntsville-based Lew Thompson & Son Trucking Inc. What began as a one-truck operation became Lew Thompson & Son Trucking, operating more than 230 trucks and 400 trailers. While trucking was the foundation of his career, Thompson also discovered a deep love for the game of golf and eventually owned two golf resorts.

September
Sen. Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch, 74, Sept. 2 – Stubblefield has represented parts of the Fort Smith metro in the Arkansas Legislature since 2011. He recently worked to push back against a planned state prison in Franklin County. The Senate District 26 includes parts of Franklin, Johnson, Logan and Sebastian counties. He was chair of the Senate City, County and Local Affairs Committee and was a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Joint Energy Committee, the Senate Efficiency Committee, the Joint Budget Committee, and the Legislature Council. Stubblefield was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 2010, and served one term (2011-13) before being elected to the Arkansas Senate in 2012.

Mont Echols, 90, Sept. 25 – Echols was an established figure in the Arkansas banking circles and member of the First National Bank of Fort Smith board since 1962. Echols graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering in 1958, and joined First National Bank in 1959. He would be elected to the bank’s board of directors in 1962, and would be elected board chairman in August 2011 after the passing of longtime bank president Sam M. Sicard. Echols, who was a first cousin to Sam M., helped the bank transition from written ledgers to the use of computers and other digital processes in the late 1960s, according to the bank.

October
James Alan “Jim” von Gremp, 75, Oct. 12 — von Gremp of Bentonville began his professional journey at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in Bentonville, where he held positions in training, accounting, and public relations before ultimately leading the company’s charitable foundation. During his time there, he helped launch the retailer’s national partnership with the Children’s Miracle Network — a collaboration that has since raised more than $1 billion to support children’s hospitals across the country. In 1988, von Gremp left the corporate world to start an accounting practice and later joining A.G. Edwards & Sons. He also co-owned radio stations in Missouri and worked in real estate development. Von Gremp was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1992 and later served on Gov. Mike Huckabee’s staff and chaired the Arkansas Public Service Commission.

November
Edwin Michael “Mike” Nail, 80, Nov. 8 — Nail of Fayetteville passed at home peacefully with his wife and daughters by his side. He was born Feb. 12, 1945. For 29 years, Nail served as the Voice of Arkansas Razorback Basketball, calling over 900 games, including Arkansas’ 1994 National Championship game. In addition, he worked as a sports broadcaster and writer, serving broadcast areas in Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Central Arkansas, Joplin and Oklahoma City. In 2022, Mike was inducted into the Arkansas Sportswriters and Sports Broadcasters Hall of Fame. He also proudly served in the U.S. Navy.

December
Jim Blair, 90, Dec. 3 — Blair was a Fayetteville philanthropist, longtime attorney and Tyson Foods executive. He was a prominent attorney in the state for years and was appointed general counsel for Tyson Foods in 1980, where he worked for 20 years. He helped take Tyson Foods public and handled several of its early acquisitions. In 1980, Gov. Bill Clinton appointed Blair as a National Democratic Committeeman. He later served as private legal counsel to President Clinton while in the White House. Blair and his late wife, Diane, were close friends of Bill and Hillary Clinton. After his wife’s death, Blair devoted years to philanthropy, including gifts to the Fayetteville Public Library and the University of Arkansas. He served on the Arkansas State Board of Higher Education and the UA Board of Trustees, both of which he chaired.

James Curtis, 83, Dec. 11 – Curtis was an Army veteran, manufacturing business owner and real estate developer based in Fort Smith. He worked for Norge/Whirlpool, and at the age of 25 bought a tool and die manufacturing company. The company, ANGE Tooling, would become one of the more successful fabricators in the state. He also founded Arkansas-Oklahoma Machinery, which was one fo the largest metal-working machinery dealers in the country. Later in life he would shift to real estate and became one of the leading developers of high-security federal government office buildings in the country.

John Taylor, 74, Dec. 18 – Taylor built a successful career in accounting and investments and had a key role in the creation of the Fort Smith-based Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE). He began his investment career in 1990 and joined Stifel in 2015, after the acquisition of Sterne Agee Group. Prior to joining Stifel, he worked as a practicing CPA and partner in a local firm, Merchants Investments Center, and John R. Taylor Financial Group. Taylor was a member of the ACHE board of trustees, was a member of the Degen Foundation board of directors, previously served as chairman of the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith (UAFS) Foundation, and was a member of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce. He also volunteered his time with area radio, television shows, and newspapers to educate the public about financial matters. He was also a polio survivor and an early recipient of support from the March of Dimes.