Bill Hefner

Willie Gathrel Hefner (April 11, 1930 – September 2, 2009), was a Democratic U.S. Congressman from North Carolina, serving between 1975 and 1999.

Bill Hefner
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 8th district
In office
January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1999
Preceded byEarl B. Ruth
Succeeded byRobin Hayes
Personal details
Born
Willie Gathrel Hefner

(1930-04-11)April 11, 1930
Elora, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedSeptember 2, 2009(2009-09-02) (aged 79)
Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Nancy Hefner
EducationUniversity of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

Life and career

Born in Elora, Tennessee, Hefner graduated from high school in Sardis, Alabama. He attended the University of Alabama, and he became the president and owner of radio station WRKB in Kannapolis, North Carolina. He was a member of the Harvesters Quartet, a group of gospel music singers based in North Carolina, from 1954 to 1967, and was a television performer on numerous North Carolina TV channels.

In 1974, he was elected as a Democrat to the 94th United States Congress; he served a total of 12 terms, from January 3, 1975 until January 3, 1999, when he retired from Congress.

Hefner built a reputation as an advocate for veterans, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salisbury, North Carolina, was renamed in his honor on April 16, 1999.[1]

After retiring from Congress, Hefner moved with his wife, Nancy, to Alabama. He served from October 2001 until November 2002 as the District One commissioner for Marshall County, Alabama. He died in Huntsville, Alabama on September 2, 2009 after suffering a brain aneurysm.[2]

References
  1. Wineka, Mark (April 15, 1999). "VA facility to be renamed for Rep. Hefner". Salisbury Post. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
  2. "Former Congressman Bill Hefner dies at 79". The Fayetteville Observer. 2009-09-03.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Earl B. Ruth		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 8th congressional district
1975–1999		 Succeeded by
Robin Hayes
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