PARKERSBURG - A pillar of the community is gone.
Edwin L.D. Dils, 88, a local businessman and community leader for more than 50 years, passed away Monday at his Parkersburg home.
''Wood County has lost one of our outstanding citizens,'' said Wood County Commissioner Rick Modesitt. ''Mr. Dils and his family have deep roots in Parkersburg and Wood County. He was an outstanding businessman, but more importantly an outstanding citizen.
''Long after he retired from business, Mr. Dils contributed countless time and energy to numerous community projects. Whenever there was a worthy community project or committee to serve on, Mr. Dils was heavily involved. His contributions to our community are many, and he will be missed.''
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church, 10th and Juliana streets, according to Leavitt Funeral Home.
Dils was born April 26, 1922, was raised in the Parkersburg area and attended Wood County schools.
He graduated June 1940 from Parkersburg High School.
He attended Yale University and received a bachelor's in industrial administration, and attended the University of Kentucky, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Cambridge University in England when he was a sergeant in the 78th Infantry Division during World War II.
Dils earned a veterans certificate from the Harvard Graduate School of Business in 1947 when he went to work for his family's business, Dils Brothers & Co. Department Store. At the downtown Market Street store, Dils was controller, treasurer, president and director. He retired in January 1988 when Dils Bros. closed.
Dils served as a member of the board of directors at Community Bank in Parkersburg, starting at the age of 33 and stepping down in 2009. He served as president of the Interstate Dry Goods Syndicate, president of the West Virginia Retailers Association and served on the board of directors at the National Retail Dry Goods Association.
Many who knew Dils said it would be hard to sum up the man, his accomplishments and all he has done for this community in a few words.
Randall E. Snider, president and chief executive officer for Community Bank, said Dils was "one of a kind" and everything he did and the impact he had on the community could fill up a couple of newspapers.
Dils became a board member at Community Bank in 1955 at the age of 33 after his uncle and one of the bank's founders, Sam M. Dils, retired from the board.
He was always involved with the bank, always working to move it forward, giving good counsel and considered how board decisions would affect customers and employees, Snider said.
Dils never called anyone an "employee"; they were all "associates."
''He cared for people,'' Snider said. ''It was that caring for people that led to wisdom.''
Dils remained active in the community for years as part of the Parkersburg High School Foundation and the PHS Stadium Renovation Committee. On Jan. 28, Dils received the Parkersburg High School Outstanding Alumni Award for outstanding volunteer service.
Cathy Martin of the PHS Foundation said they, like many around the community, were saddened by the news of Dils' passing.
''He helped maintain the excellence of PHS,'' Martin said.
''With him, I always saw his wisdom and his ability to steer the foundation to the kind of goals we strive for. He had the innate sense of community and how the foundation could fit into that.''
Dils was involved with the YMCA, the Chamber of Commerce, the Parkersburg Rotary Club, the Wood County Development Authority and the Area Roundtable. He participated in the founding of the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation.
''If character is defined by the things you do when no one is watching, then he had the ultimate character,'' said Rich Schaffer, a former president of the Parkersburg Rotary Club.
Dils, who contracted polio when he was 30, was a supporter of Rotary efforts to eradicate the disease and participated by a taped message in a telethon this summer, Schaffer said.
"He loved Rotary and Rotary loved him," Schaffer said.
Dils served on the board of advisors for Ohio Valley University, the board of trustees at West Virginia Wesleyan College, the West Virginia University Council for Economic Education, was vice chairman of the West Virginia United Methodist Charities Foundation and a lifelong member of First United Methodist Church. In 2000, Dils received the West Virginia Governor's Award and the Order of the 35th Star.
''Even after he retired, he remained active in the community until the day he died,'' Snider said. ''It is a sad day in Parkersburg.''
Former Wood County Commissioner Holmes "Butch" Shaver described Dils as "Mr. Everything" with all he was involved in as well as an "unbelievable human being" and "a very special friend" who he was able to consult with on a number of topics.
Dils was one of the first people to call him when he was elected to the commission and offered to help him in any way he could. Shaver described Dils as the "ultimate giver" who always had a smile on his face.
''He was so involved in the community, whether it was out in front or behind the scenes,'' Shaver said. ''People in the community will probably never know all that he really did. He gave of himself beyond the call of duty. He was a real friend and someone I hold in the highest regard.''
Dils and his wife, Jane, celebrated their 64th anniversary in August. They had four children, 12 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
Even with commitments to his business and other community groups, Dils always found time for his family.
''He was a wonderful family man,'' Shaver said. ''They were so special to him.
''He and his wife were one of the great love stories of all time. It was a true partnership. You never saw one without the other.''
Parkersburg Mayor Bob Newell said Dils has been a major influence on local business and the community for many years.
''His commitment went beyond his personal business and family in supporting several charities as well as helping to establish the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation,'' Newell said. ''He also was a member of many civic organizations and was a founding member of the Area Roundtable.
''His contribution to this community will be realized for many decades into the future. On behalf of the mayor's office and city council we would like to offer our deepest sympathies to the family of Edwin Dils upon his passing.''
(City Editor Jess Mancini contributed to this story.)
