Bill Milburn, a Conway School Board member, died Aug. 18 at 72. 

“Bill Milburn was an excellent member of the Conway School Board,” David Naylor, school board president, said. “Bill was very interested in helping our youth through their education. He would study any issues that were brought before the board and always had thoughtful solutions on attacking the problem.”

Milburn represented Zone 5 for the Conway School Board and was elected in March.

In October 2022, Milburn was appointed to the school board and served until May 2023. 

Linda Hargis, school board secretary and zone 3 representative, said she met Milburn when he applied for the appointed position.

“He earned the respect of his colleagues and the admiration of the public,” Hargis said. “Bill’s devotion to this community extended beyond his badge. As a member of the Conway School Board, he was committed to providing a quality education for all students. He was valued by the board for his leadership and dedication to our school. He was a thoughtful, kind man and was well respected by the people he served.”

Trip Leach, school board vice president and zone 5 representative, said he also first met Milburn when Milburn applied to be appointed to the Conway School Board.

“We served for a little under a year together,” Leach said. “We also spent a lot of time on the campaign trail together, seeing each other at the various speaking engagements, debates and other election activities during the election for the school board this year.”

Before serving on the Conway School Board, Milburn served the Conway community as part of the Conway Police Department.

Naylor said, “He was on the Conway Police force for 27 years and had a rank of Major at retirement. Bill’s career in law enforcement brought an extensive amount of knowledge for our school security and future projects.”

Naylor said Milburn’s biggest passion was “building Christian schools in Belize, and he led over 20 teams to construct these schools throughout the nation.”

Hargis said, “Bill’s faith was central in his life. He was an active member in his church, where he participated for 20-plus years in an international mission to Belize. 

“His group worked to build schools for the children of this country. As one can see, Bill was a generous man who believed in the importance of giving back. He will be missed by this community,” she said.

Leach said he always enjoyed his interactions with Milburn.

“My favorite memory of Bill was just sitting and talking to him about his family and faith when we were standing at the polls on Election Day campaigning for the school board earlier this year,” Leach said. “Bill loved his family and had a strong faith, and I admired those qualities about him.”

Naylor said, “My favorite memory of Bill was spending time together at our national school board meeting and just laughing at his very witty responses to questions. I feel very fortunate to have met Bill and will always be indebted for his willingness to serve. Hopefully, we can continue his legacy on the Conway School Board.”

Leach said Milburn was “well-spoken and passionate about his family and faith.”

“I really admired his integrity, his thoughtfulness, speaking or otherwise, and his passion to serve others,” he said. “I know Bill as an acquaintance and a cohort on the school board, but he treated me like we were lifelong friends. I will miss him greatly.”