Web posted
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Death shocks Cowley County
By JOSHUA AMES
Staff Writer
Friends and relatives of a distinguished former Winfield city commissioner and mayor were shocked at the news of his death over the weekend.
Bill W. Dexter, of Winfield, was found after being reported missing in the midafternoon on Sunday. According to the missing person report, Dexter had left in the early morning hours and was thought to be somewhere on his 3,000 acres in the Hale area of Chautauqua County, northeast of Sedan.
A 15-member search party was assembled, including Kansas Highway Patrol air units, many local residents and several other area emergency service personnel, and a search was conducted on Dexter's land.
The search, headed by Chautauqua County Emergency Management and the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Department, resulted in the location of Dexter's body after a fatal four-wheeler accident earlier in the day. He was 65.
Don Drennan, who served as the Winfield city clerk during both of Dexter's stints as mayor, said Dexter's death was beyond surprising.
"I've dealt with Bill on a number of things in the past and his death was untimely, to say the least," said Drennan.
Dexter, a 1961 graduate of Sedan High School, received his bachelor's degree in accounting from Wichita State University in 1965, before moving to Winfield and working for the Gott Corporation in 1968. After 18 years of service to the company, Dexter retired from Gott as the chief financial officer after the acquisition of the company by Rubbermaid in 1986.
Dexter was also on the board of directors of First Community Federal in Winfield, the chamber of commerce board and was elected to the national board of Employee Stock Ownership Plans. He was awarded the Soil Conservation Award by the Chautauqua County Soil Conservation Service in 1997 and continued to serve on the Soil Conservation Board until his death.
He was also a member of First United Methodist Church and served as a trustee.
While working at Gott, Dexter served as Winfield mayor in 1984 and 1986. He also served on the Winfield City Commission in 1983 and 1985.
Many who knew him not only remember him as a private man, but also as a man who held his life in the highest of regards.
Kenny Buss, former head of the molding shop at Gott, said Dexter's professionalism and his levelheadedness made him a great person to work with "He was just a very professional and mild-mannered individual that was just a joy to be around," said Buss. "He was one of those guys you looked up to. He was a great individual and a good friend. He had a high value for his work and family and you can't give a guy a better compliment than that."
Buss said he remembered working with Dexter at Gott fondly since the company was small and it gave the employees a more interactive and close working environment.
"Back in the old Gott days, it was more of a family environment. We worked together and played together," said Buss.
Lucien Barbour, who served one term on the City Commission with Dexter, said that when they served together, along with Bob Duncan, he doesn't remember there ever being an argument during any of their commission meetings.
"He was a good commissioner and we all worked together quite well, said Barbour. "We never argued and always reached consensus. We never shut anyone out on how they felt about issues.
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