(Posted July 12, 2017)
By Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor
At their July 6 meeting, London city council held a moment of silence for Bill Blazer, a community leader who passed away on July 5.
Blazer was chairman of the city’s Board of Public Utilities and a member of the Madison County Board of Elections. In the past, he served as executive director of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce. He also had been active in youth sports in the area.
“I was able to really get to know Bill over the past few years, and I can say he was a great man and would do anything to help others and better our community,” said Mayor Patrick Closser.
Council members expressed their condolences and praised the work Blazer did.
“Bill did a lot for this community, especially in athletics. He was really a great guy. I’m going to miss him,” said council member Dick Minner.
Council member Josh Peters recalls when Blazer helped his father coach youth sports leagues. He also fondly remembers Blazer’s time as dealer/operator of a Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealership in town.
In addition to his involvement in business, local sports programs, and civic activities, Blazer worked as athletic director at Urbana University and Ohio Dominican University. He was inducted into the London Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.
Blazer was nearly halfway through his six-year term on the Board of Public Utilities. Closser plans to appoint someone by late July or early August to fill the remainder of the term, which expires on Dec. 31, 2020. After the appointment is made, the board will elect a new chairman. The other members of the board are Bill Beathard and Stan Kavy.
The executive committee of the Mad-ison County Republican Central Commit-tee will meet July 17 to choose someone to fill the remainder of Blazer’s term on the Board of Elections board. The term expires Feb. 28, 2019. The Ohio Secretary of State must approve the committee’s recommendation.
Blazer was one of two Republicans on the board; the other is Teresa Ames. Debbie Cochran serves as chairman; she and Howard Foust represent the Democratic Party on the board.
