Friends bid farewell to Jim Powell at a memorial service this afternoon at Second Baptist Church. The retired Gazette editorial page editor  died Wednesday at 90.

Glenn Beck would have hated it.

Advertisement

Ray Higgins and Matt Cook eulogized Jim in a manner keeping with the history of the downtown church Jim had attended for 50 years. They preached some mighty social justice, thundering just as Jim had in behalf of the poor, the oppressed and the immigrant.

Carolyn Y. Staley knocked her solo of “Amazing Grace” out of the park. She’s running for state representative as a Democrat, by the way. Keep her in mind.

Advertisement

Faces in the crowd included: Judges current and former Bill Wilson, Bob Brown, John I. Purtle, Buzz Arnold and Wendell Griffen. Political figures included Dale Bumpers, Ray Thornton and state Rep. John Edwards. John Walker was among those in the crowd who had been key figures in the dramas Jim chronicled. Former Gazette colleagues included Jerry Dhonau, Ernie Dumas, Doug Smith, Bob McCord, Pat Patterson, Bill Lewis, Brenda Tirey and Chuck Heinbockel.

Jim’s loves were much discussed. They included bream fishing, pink tomatoes and his family —  Ruth, his wife of 58 years, and sons Lee and the late James O. Powell Jr. Lee read one of his father’s favorite poems, Tennyson’s “Crossing the Bar.”

Advertisement

Good funeral for a good man.

Be a part of something bigger

As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know we’re dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. For 50 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond – with your support, we can do even more. By becoming a subscriber or donating as little as $1 to our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage and continue to bring important stories to light. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, it's clear that our readers value our great journalism. Join us in the fight for truth.

Previous article Political poison Next article The lying liars