Local officials react to passing of Senator Billy O’Dell

0
808

rsz_1dsc_1977By Stan Welch

Senator William Hamilton “Billy” O’Dell passed away last Thursday morning, ending a career in public service that spanned more than a quarter century. Senator O’Dell represented Anderson, Abbeville and Greenwood counties in Senate District Four.

The announcement of his passing came during a meeting of members of the legislative delegation and a number of public officials and administrators, who were meeting to discuss the upcoming state budget.

At age seventy seven, O’Dell was one of the senior legislators in the General Assembly, and he used his seniority, as well as his reputation for integrity and cooperation to generate funding for miles and miles of water and sewer lines in the mostly rural area he served.

That facility for crafting compromises and finding allies in unlikely places served his constituents well, as is evidenced by the comments of several of the elected officials, and professional administrators with whom he worked so well.

Rep. Mike Gambrell whose district overlapped Senator O’Dell’s, spoke fondly of his friend and mentor. “He had a unique ability to work with people from both sides of the political spectrum, and it was because, left or right, if Billy O’Dell gave you his word, you knew you had a deal. He wasn’t going to do something to undercut you or to grab the glory. He was a true public servant, and a statesman the likes of which we seldom see these days.”

District Seven County Councilwoman Cindy Wilson said she was distraught and shocked when Senator O’Dell’s death was announced. “He was such a gentleman, and was held in the highest esteem by every public official who knew him. His integrity and kindness were well established. He was just a wonderful, wonderful man, and such an asset to the entire state.”

When Wilson first joined the county council and became embroiled in a long running conflict with a former county administrator, Senator O’Dell was instrumental in finding funding for infrastructure construction when such funding was not available to Wilson from the usual sources.

O’Dell was known as a champion of small businesses and was the owner of a very successful business which he built in Abbeville. Among the many accolades he received was one of which he was especially proud. It was the Legislator of the Year Award, awarded by the state association for economic development. His work in helping to create jobs throughout his district was a staple of his legislative career.

The list of awards and honors he received is endless. He served twice on the Board of Visitors of his alma mater, The Citadel. He was also an active supporter of Clemson University. He was awarded the Palmetto Award, the highest honor that the state can bestow.

Williamston Mayor Mack Durham said that O’Dell’s loss is enormous and will be felt throughout the state. “I was shocked, in disbelief. He was such a friend and mentor to me, and to so many others. He was always there if you needed him. I have personally lost a great friend and mentor. Senator O’Dell lived a life of real service that we can all look to as a model. He was a true statesman who was always focused on the greater good.”

Newly elected West Pelzer Mayor Blake Sanders was at the meeting when the Senator’s death was announced. “That is a day I will never forget. He had been so encouraging about the future of West Pelzer. I don’t believe people in West Pelzer truly understand what the Senator has done for this town in the last decade or so. Without him, our water and sewer systems would still be decrepit and getting worse. We would still be under a DHEC consent order, with no hope of growth or progress. Senator O’Dell gave our town, and many others, a voice at the state level. He was our voice, and he never faltered. I know it sounds selfish, but I will miss his support and expertise very, very much. But as much as I was hoping to work with him in the future, I am proud and happy to have known him, if only for a short while.”

Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns was an associate of the Senator’s, and as a consultant to several small towns before assuming the administrator’s role in Anderson several years ago, was helpful in writing grants and other funding mechanisms which Senator O’Dell often used to leverage even more funding for various projects.

“I am grieving the loss of not only a great public servant, but of a true friend and teacher. The privilege of knowing and working with Senator O’Dell is one of the greatest honors I have ever had. He was a true son, born and bred, of the Upstate, and his passion for the Upstate and for South Carolina was unequaled. He was always striving to improve the conditions and quality of life of his constituents, whether it was pursuing more jobs for the area, or bringing modern infrastructure to the small towns and rural areas he served so well. It is impossible to express how deeply he will be missed, not only by myself, but by those who worked with him and those who benefited from his service.”