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WILLIAM J. RISH

William J. "Billy Joe" Rish, 75, of Port St. Joe, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, May 17, 2008. Born to Roy P. and Lucy P. Rish in Wewahitchka on September 10, 1932 he was the youngest of four brothers. In 1950, he graduated from Wewahitchka High School, where he played on the basketball and baseball teams. After graduating, he ran a milk route from Guilford's Dairy before opening the West Florida Gas Company store in Wewahitchka at the age of nineteen. Soon afterwards, he was drafted into the Army for two years.

Following his army service, Mr. Rish enrolled at the University of Florida, where he earned a BS/BA degree with honors in 1958. He returned to the University of Florida in 1959 to attend the College of Law and received his law degree in 1962. He was admitted to the Florida Bar later that year and opened his law office in Port St. Joe.

In 1970, Mr. Rish was elected to the first of four terms in the Florida House of Representatives, serving several Panhandle counties until 1978. From 1974 to 1978, he was chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and had the unenviable duty of leading the investigation of three Florida Supreme Court Justices who faced impeachment proceedings. He also served on the House Rules and Appropriations Committee. Among his legislative accomplishments was the establishment on St. Joseph Peninsula of the very first state park for the handicapped. The Legislature surprised him in his last session by naming the park the Billy Joe Rish State Park.

In addition to his legislative service, he served as Chairman of the Florida Ethics Commission, Port St. Joe city attorney, Gulf County attorney, and Assistant Public Defender for many years.

A dedicated Christian, Mr. Rish was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Port St. Joe since 1962. He taught Sunday school faithfully for forty years and held many offices in his local church throughout the years. He also served as a lay speaker in the area. He was a lay member to the annual conference many times. He was elected as a delegate to General Conference beginning in 1980 and served five terms or twenty years. As a result of being a delegate to General Convention, he automatically served as delegate to the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference and the Alabama –West Florida Annual Conference.

He was also a longtime member and past President of the Kiwanis Club of Port St. Joe, the Florida Bar Association, the Salvation Army Advisory Board, his beloved Porkchoppers Club, and the Gulf County Chamber of Commerce, which gave him a lifetime achievement award in February 2008.

Mr. Rish was predeceased by his parents, Roy P. and Lucy P. Rish, his brothers, Roy P. Rish, Jr. and Henry I. Rish and his nephew, Henry I. (Hank) Rish, Jr. Survivors include his beloved wife of fifty years, Carol Thompson Rish, his daughter, Cathy R. Womac of Alpharetta, Georgia, son, Jay Rish of Port St. Joe, grandchildren, Steven and Garrett Bode of Alpharetta, Ga., and Joe, Caroline and Kathleen Rish of Port St. Joe, brother and sister-in-law, Robert C. and Betty Rish of Wewahitchka, brother-in-law, Richard E. Thompson of Panama City.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 20, 2008, at the First United Methodist Church of Port St. Joe. Interment will follow in the Holly Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the church on Monday, May 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. EDT. Those desiring may make a contribution to the American Cancer Society, 2012 A Lisenby Avenue, Panama City, FL 32405, Covenant Hospice, 107 W 19th Street, Panama City, FL 32405, First United Methodist Church of Port St. Joe, 1001 Constitution Drive, Port St. Joe, FL 32456, the Heifer Project International, 1 World Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72202 or a favorite charity. Active pallbearers will be Thomas S. Gibson, Russell Scholz, Paul Groom, Stan Siprell, Charles M. Norton and Clifford W. Sanborn, Jr. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Bernard A. Pridgeon, Jr. Memorial Sunday School Class and the Kiwanis Club of Port. St. Joe. Mr. Rish's video tribute may be viewed online at www.wilsonfuneralhome.net.

Wilson Funeral Home