James Hugh "Jim" Brewer

James Hugh "Jim" Brewer, Sr., of Conway, passed away peacefully in his sleep October 19, 2016. He was born June 20, 1927, to William C. and Vinnie J. Brewer in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where he graduated high school in 1945. Jim moved to Conway to attend the Arkansas State Teachers College (ASTC) and was a member of Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity. It was at ASTC where he met Bobbye Bryant, and they were married March 8, 1947. After leaving college, Jim was employed by Arkansas Power and Light Company and later was employed by Conway Corporation in 1954 as Assistant Manager. In 1965 he became the CEO of Conway Corporation, and he served in that position until his retirement in 1991. During his tenure as CEO at Conway Corporation, he served his community and state in many capacities. Among those were Chairman of the Arkansas Industrial Developers Foundation, President of the Arkansas Municipal Power Association, Board Member of the Conway Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Conway Planning Commission, President of the Conway Rotary Club, Member of the State Chamber of Commerce Board, President of the Arkansas Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Member of the State Board of the Boy Scouts of America, and Board Member of First State Bank and Trust Company and its successor banks. Jim had a passion for helping Conway to grow and become the best place in Arkansas to live. It was under his watch that the Conway Corporation implemented the first municipally owned cable television system in the United States. He began work on this project in 1979, and the first customer was put online in January of 1981. In recognition of his helping to secure the funds to build the Brewer-Hegeman conference center on the University of Central Arkansas campus, the building bears his name. Because of his tenacity and dedication to the proposition of requiring the corp of engineers to build Conway a new water supply, the Conway City Council honored his work by naming it Brewer Lake. He was in recent years awarded the prestigious Governor Ben Laney Sigma Tau Gamma, Sigma Chapter, alumni award for leadership achievement. Other awards he has been honored with are Congressional District Number 2 Industrial Developer of the Year, Bernard J. Tannenbaum Services to Humanities award, Conway Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Citizen, Distinguished Citizen of the Quapaw Area Council, and the proclamation of Jim Brewer Day in Conway on June 20, 1991. Jim was a Christian and of the Baptist faith. He was a longtime trustee, deacon, and Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church in Conway. He was most recently a member of Woodland Height Baptist Church. He was preceded in death by his parents William C. and Vinnie J. Brewer, son James Hugh "Sandy" Brewer, Jr., brother William C. Brewer, Jr., and sisters Peggy Criswell and Helen Mellinger. He is survived by his wife of 69 years Bobbye Brewer, daughter Judy Austin (Milo), daughter-in-law Cheryl Phillips Brewer, brother John Brewer (Genny), sister Marcia Massey, grandchildren Zach Brewer, Cara Cates (Aaron), and Rob Winters (Kelli), great-grandchildren Jill and Kali Cates, and Lindsey and Lily Winters, special cousin Hugh Brewer (Martha), faithful friend and caregiver Marti Rankin, and a host of nieces and nephews. Pallbearers: Richie Arnold, Aaron Cates, Jerry Duncan, Roger Mills, Jim West, and Lance Woodcock Honorary Pallbearers: Don Bingham, Randal Bowlin, James Clark, Mickey Cox, Dwayne Goode, Larry Guinn, Bill Hegeman, Jack Henderson, Jerry Nichols, Dale Norman, Joe Norton, Johnny Owen, Roger Price, Jimmy Reynolds, Stanley Russ Visitation will be Friday, October 21, 2016, from 6-8 p.m. at Roller McNutt Funeral Home in Conway. Funeral Service will be Saturday, October 22, 2016, at 10 a.m. at Woodland Heights Baptist Church in Conway with Burial following at Crestlawn Memorial Park. Online Guestbook available at www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/conway.