One chair stood empty at the Franklin County Commission meeting Monday. A wreath of white flower adorned the spot where one commissioner was missing.

Franklin County Commissioner Wyman Pounders, who recently had been dealing with several health issues, passed away in the early hours of Monday morning. Pounders has been a Franklin County commissioner for the past four years and had nailed the Democratic nod to run for re-election in November. Pounders had expressed his excitement to continue to serve on the commission. He was passionate about serving the people of this county.

“It’s been a privilege to work with Commissioner Pounders,” Probate Judge Barry Moore said as the meeting commission’s regular work session meeting opened somberly Monday. “He was a good man – a hard worker. He’d tell you what he thought, and you knew where you stood with him. I appreciate that.”

Moore wasn’t the only one who lauded Pounders for his honesty. It was a blazing hot day Monday, but “If Wyman Pounders told me it was snowing outside today, I wouldn’t get up and look because I would know it was. That’s how truthful he was. There’s not many folks left like that in the world,” said Commissioner Rayburn Massey. “It’s a sad day for Franklin County. It was a pleasure working with him.”

Commissioner Don Hastings echoed those sentiments. “Wyman was a good man, and he did a good job,” Hastings said. “I thought a lot of Wyman.”

A retired police officer and retired school resource officer, Pounders was active in the Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Courthouse Security Board and the County Cattleman’s Association are areas of civic involvement for Pounders. He was also a member of the First Baptist Church and enjoyed running his cattle and poultry farm.

Massey said one memory particular sticks out for him, to illustrate Pounders’ character.

“Two years ago, a granddaughter of mine was in the homecoming court in Red Bay,” Massey recounted. “Wyman and his wife had just bought a brand new, black, Corvette convertible that had less than 500 miles on it. Guess what Darby rode in the parade? Now how many folks would let you use their brand new Corvette with less than 500 miles on it? … That was just his nature.”

Pounders leaves behind wife Roxann, three daughters and four grandchildren.

Funeral service will be today, June 15, at 11 a.m. at Pinkard Funeral Home, with Daniel Welborn and Sammy Taylor officiating. Burial will be in Knights of Pythias Cemetery.