Bill Hasty

News Obituary Article

CANTON: Bill Hasty, 81, chaired Georgia DOT's board

By KAY POWELL

For Bill Hasty, the retired chairman of the Georgia Department of Transportation board and former educator and legislator who spent 40 years in public service, statesmanship elevated him above controversy.

Mr. Hasty was named to the DOT board in 1995 and became chairman in April 2002. When redistricting placed DOT Vice Chairman Steve Reynolds of Lawrenceville in the same district, Mr. Hasty decided to leave the board in April and relinquish his seat to Mr. Reynolds.

While on the DOT board, Mr. Hasty drew criticism from opponents of the Northern Arc because he and his family owned property within a few miles of the proposed road, which has been canceled by Gov. Sonny Perdue.

"Our family has owned that land since 1982," said Mr. Hasty's son, William G. Hasty Jr. of Canton. "We donated part of it for a school and a library to be built. He was a politician, and he knew it was a means the opposition had to resort to, to make a point."

William G. Hasty Sr., 81, died of cancer at his Canton residence Tuesday. The funeral is 2 p.m. Friday at Canton First Baptist Church. Huey Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

"He and I disagreed on the Northern Arc," Cherokee County Commissioner Harry Johnston of Canton said. "A real example of the kind of statesman he was is that he gave no hint that would interfere with our friendship."

Another road opponent, Lionel Stutz of Cherokee County, said: "I admire his past. He has been a great public servant through the schools, Legislature and Department of Transportation. I found him an honorable man. He was a caring individual who loved the city of Canton and Cherokee County. He dedicated a large part of his life to making the county better."

Mr. Hasty grew up on a Cherokee County farm and began teaching in a one-room schoolhouse, now covered by Lake Allatoona, his son said. The senior Mr. Hasty was a high school principal before becoming county school superintendent in 1952. On the state level, he served in both the House and Senate.

For years, Mr. Hasty wrote a column for the Cherokee Tribune, and he published two books of county history, "I Remember When" and "Yesterday and More."

"In his columns, he wrote about Cherokee County and North Georgia. He had such a vivid memory," his son said. "He wrote abut the Civil War and homemade medicine and killing a hog." Other columns dealt with county issues and actions by the DOT.

"While I was on the County Commission and he was chairman of the DOT board, he did a lot to help keep me informed," said Mr. Johnston. Mr. Hasty not only let him know DOT considerations but sought the commission's ideas for projects in Cherokee County, he said.

Mr. Hasty was proud of the interstate HOV lanes in metro Atlanta but worked to find alternate solutions to traffic congestion, mass transit rather than adding traffic lanes, the younger Hasty said.

"He was a colorful person. He would tell a tale, talk with you for hours," said Mr. Johnston. "I probably never will achieve the level of statesmanship he had."

Survivors include his wife, Hazel Wyatt Hasty; two daughters, Dixie Kinard of Dalton and Joanie Castleberry of Canton; a sister, Valmon Henson of Canton; a brother, Arnold Hasty of Riverdale; eight grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

© 2003 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution