Horn Lake planning commissioner Egner passes away
Photo: William (Bill) Egner photo announcing his candidacy for DeSoto County Supervisor in 2023. (Courtesy photo)
A member of the Horn Lake planning commission who unsuccessfully ran for the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors has passed away, according to his family.
William E. (Bill) Egner passed away on Wednesday, April 10 at the age of 72. A businessman who also worked in air traffic control, Egner used his retirement years to become politically active in an effort to better his Horn Lake and DeSoto County home.
Egner entered the U.S. Marine Corps after his graduation from high school, and was trained to be an air traffic controller. From his Marine service, Egner transitioned into work with the Federal Aviation Administration, where he was employed until a 1981 labor strike.
From that point, Egner moved into retail and business, first working at a convenience store to becoming a convenience store owner of Corner Store and Grocery. He stayed in retail until his retirement in March 2020, when he was with the Southaven Hollywood Feeds store.
With retirement, Egner turned to local politics. While aligned with the Democratic Party, Egner encouraged voter registration and vote turnout regardless of party affiliation.
He was appointed as Planning Commissioner of the City of Horn Lake and was deeply invested in making his local community in Horn Lake DeSoto County a better place.
Egner did run for political office, announcing his unsuccessful candidacy for District 3 Supervisor, the seat Ray Denison currently holds, in January of 2023.
Egner’s family noted that he loved attending sporting and other events for his grandchildren and maintained close relationships with his seven surviving sisters and was uncle to a host of nephews and nieces.
Bill is survived by his wife, Faye; sons: Michael (Amanda), and Billy (Sarah); stepdaughters: Melissa Shands (Dennis) and Mary Shine; seven sisters: Mary Ruth (Gil Carey), Patty (Karl Stocker), Susan Goebel, Anne Howell, Janet (Sammy Rapp), Cathy (Chuck Clements), and Doris (Dennis Conklin); and grandchildren: Flannery, Adelaide “Addy,” William “Isaiah,” and Elijah, mother of his sons Elizabeth Bennett.
Services to celebrate Bill’s life will be held at Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Olive Branch on April 22, 2024, with visitation at 9 a.m. and Mass at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Horn Lake Animal Shelter building fund.
