The likes of a Bill Featherstone don’t come around very often.
That’s something that has entered the mind of Eureka Springs Parks and Recreation Director Sam Dudley a great deal after learning of the recent passing of Featherstone, who had a plethora of impactful roles in the community.
Featherstone, 72, of Eureka Springs, died surrounded by family on Thursday, Feb. 26, at Mercy Hospital in Rogers, according to his obituary.
“He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend who will be deeply missed,” says the obituary posted on the Nelson Funeral Service website.
Featherstone spent years focusing on bettering the parks system in Eureka Springs, and later worked tirelessly to help provide food for those in need through a ministry with his church.
“Every so often, a special person comes along who gives our community a jolt of positive energy. For decades, Bill was that guy for Parks,” Dudley wrote when asked about Featherstone. “Bill served on the Parks Commission for 20 years, during which he selflessly dedicated himself to the cause of improving the parks of Eureka Springs, pouring his heart, soul, and countless hours into pursuits that he believed would improve our community. He will be sorely missed.
“However, his legacy will live on not just through his beautiful family, but also through his achievements. While on the Commission, Bill oversaw the construction of the Lake Leatherwood Ballfields, the Lake Leatherwood Bike Park, and numerous other projects that propelled Eureka Springs’ reputation as an outdoor recreation destination. We are forever grateful for Bill’s service.”
Ruth Hager saw Featherstone’s commitment and passion firsthand.
As the current chair and a longtime member of the parks commission, Hager worked with Featherstone on many projects and remembers his never-wavering focus on improving his community in many ways.
“I’m very thankful to have served with him on Parks Commission, and to have known him as a neighbor, friend, and fellow Eurekan,” Hager said when asked about Featherstone’s passing. “Bill was a dedicated public servant for parks and always a passionate advocate for Eureka Springs. As a long-standing member and as chair of the Eureka Springs Parks Commission, he contributed to legislation, plans, and polices for our parks over his 25-plus years, always with an eye toward making our city a great place to live, work, and play.
“His legacy continues to guide the development of our parks and trails. The extensive, detailed knowledge he brought to the table was astonishing.”
It was during the COVID-19 pandemic when Featherstone was forced to pivot from his focus on parks to helping those in Carroll County who needed food.
Featherstone helped launch Answering the Call, a ministry of First United Methodist Church in Eureka Springs. It’s a program that continued over the years, and Featherstone was passionate about the families it assisted.
“During COVID, his civic duty focus changed to meal deliveries for those in need,” Hager said. “My husband and I volunteered with him in those days, and we were not surprised to see his selfless spirit at work. His sense of humor and purpose made everyone enjoy the work.”
Rev. Blake Lasater with First United Methodist Church reflected on Featherstone’s life in a Facebook post on the day of his passing, saying the giving nature continued after his death.
“I just heard from Bill Featherstone’s family, Bill passed away at 8:55 this morning,” Lasater wrote. “He had wished to be an organ donor, and was able to pass on life to three others. Bill was always giving back and lifting up others, especially the people of Eureka Springs.”
Lasater also recalled the early days of COVID-19 and thinking of ways the church could assist in those uncharted waters.
“Bill was one of the first I called when offered a generous grant to keep our community fed at the beginning of the Pandemic,” Lasater wrote. “He was able to take that first grant and match it [through] fundraising efforts he was always tweaking and improving. All in all, he helped raise well over $100,000 to buy tens of thousands of meals for folks that had nothing.
“When we transitioned to a Mobile Food Pantry in partnership with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, he took over our delivery arm, making sure we had drivers and arranged the routes and screened all the calls. Out of his own pocket he would often supplement the food we were giving or if we had missed someone. He even advertised [through] social media to make sure we got this message of food assistance to every possible person who may have needed it. This work was a passion of his.”
Lasater said Bill’s wife, Connie, recently shared that a brand-new coat had been purchased for someone who needed it.
“Connie shared with me there is a brand new coat on her kitchen table, someone had told Bill they had no winter clothing, so Bill ordered it off Amazon,” Lasater wrote. “If someone was in need he was going to find a way to help them.
“These last six years he has touched hundreds of families, thousands of people. He was instrumental in making Answering the Call one of our church’s most vital outreach missions.
“Twice a month we would gather, in the beginning at Sparky’s, and later on here at the church to pack meals, organize deliveries, and often argue about all the world’s problems and how to solve them. He could spin a good story, and I would often shake my head and tell him, ‘God was looking out after you.’
“He leaves some mighty big shoes to fill and an inspiring call to look after one another.”
Lasater concluded his social media post by saying that the last favor he did for Featherstone was officiating the marriage of his daughter, Bailey and now son-in-law, Matt.
“I guess the last thing I could do for him as his minister and friend was to perform the marriage for his daughter Bailey and her husband Matt,” Lasater wrote. “She asked if I would do that there in the ICU room so that her daddy could be at her wedding. I find a beauty and solace in that, probably one of the most meaningful marriages I have done.”
Hager said she learned a lot from Featherstone over the years, and uses that knowledge frequently.
“As current parks commission chair, I rely on many of the things I learned from him,” Hager said. “Future commissioners have him to thank for elevating our parks department in order to be an active part of the growth in Northwest Arkansas. I love that he constantly reminded us how crucial it is to encourage younger people to discover our parks and our historic town.
“He and I often chatted about our families and shared stories about raising kids to love nature and get outside and away from the screens once in a while. Everyone knows he was very loved by his wife and kids. His positive influence on his friends, employees, co-workers, and fellow volunteers will live on.
“It’s an understatement to say Bill will be missed. Eureka Springs will always be grateful for the differences he made for all of us.”
The impact on the community was evident and meaningful, according to Jack Moyer, general manager of the Basin Park and Crescent hotels.
“Bill was a leader,” Moyer said. “As you enjoy Lake Leatherwood, walk the trails in town, appreciate area springs or enjoy the community center, know that Bill was a big part of that vision and in generating the support to make that happen. I will miss him.”
According to the obituary, Featherstone was born on November 29, 1953, in Greenville, Miss., to William Lloyd Featherstone and Sara Lee Featherstone.
After high school, Bill Featherstone attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he met Connie. The pair were married in May 1979 and moved in May 1980 to Eureka Springs, where they shared 46 years together.
“Bill was a man of many passions,” the obituary reads. “He loved the outdoors and never missed an opportunity to hike to a new waterfall or ride a new bike trail. He loved music, craft beer, and meeting new people. Bill had a deep love for the Eureka Springs community and was always looking for ways to serve.
“He believed his greatest calling was helping others — beginning with the youth group at the Methodist Church, coaching youth sports, serving on the Parks and Recreation Committee, helping establish the Community Center, and most recently volunteering with Answering the Call to provide meals to those in need throughout Carroll County.”
“Bill Featherstone is survived by his wife; his son, Barrett, and wife Amber; his daughter, Bailey and husband Matt; his grandchildren, Britton and Christian; his brother, John; his sister, Missy and husband Allen; and numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family members. “His family will remember him most for his wicked sense of humor and the many lessons he shared along the way,” the obituary reads.
Featherstone will be honored with a Celebration of Life from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, March 15, at the Lake Leatherwood soccer fields in Eureka Springs where there will be music, food and drinks provided, according to Dudley and the obituary.
“Everyone is encouraged to bring a chair and come celebrate a life well lived, honoring the way Bill approached each day: ‘be passionate, stay positive, and have a purpose,’ ” the obituary reads.
Online condolences for the Featherstone family can be sent to nelson@nelsonfuneral.com.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here